252 CACAO 



throughout cacao-growing countries. The bean after 

 being cured and dried in a manner fit for sale can be used 

 at any time for manufacturing into chocolate. The first 

 process is to roast the beans in a cylinder over a slow fire, 

 until they assume a fine brown colour, but not to heat them 

 to such a degree as to burn them, or to destroy the essential 

 oil which they contain. Cacao beans once burnt or scorched 

 can never make a cup of first-class chocolate. When 

 browned sufficiently, the testa, cuticle, or skin, easily 

 separates from the inner portion of the seed, and can be 

 cracked off and fanned away as soon as the beans are cool 

 enough to handle. Care should be taken to grind quickly 

 after roasting, as once roasted, cacao if exposed soon loses 

 flavour and aroma, and the manufactured article should 

 always be kept in sealed or close-fitting receptacles. 



The " nibs " are put upon a clean piece of free stone 

 about two feet square, perfectly smooth, another piece of the 

 same material, somewhat rounded, being used as a grinder. 

 Rubbed for some little time and frequently turned with a 

 small spatula, the beans are reduced to a paste, the fat 

 they contain assisting the operation, but the grinding 

 must be continued until the paste becomes perfectly 

 smooth and even. If sweet chocolate is desired to be 

 made, sugar should be added ; if " unsweetened " nothing 

 more has to be done than to make the paste up into such 

 sizes of blocks, rolls, or balls as may suit the fancy of the 

 manufacturer or the convenience of the housewife. These 

 balls, rolls, or blocks are then allowed to set or harden, 

 which they will do in a few hours' time, after which they 

 can be transported any distance. The operations of 

 roasting and grinding should always be done in dry weather, 

 as chocolate made in damp weather always keeps badly, 

 the mould fungi attacking it more at such times. In fact, 

 the chief difficulty in making local chocolate is the amount 

 of moisture in the atmosphere. It is also essential that the 

 day temperature should be high in order that the cacao 

 butter may work more easily. It is the practice to employ 

 sun heat to keep the paste soft while the grinding is going 



