cocoa processing

processing of cocoa & its types

1. PROCESSING

2. Swedish botanist carolus linnaeus scientific name : theobroma cacao Means “ food of the gods” It resembles English apple tree. COCOA

3. TYPES OF COCOA PODS 1. Forastero 2. Criollo 3. Trinitario

4. Forastero Hard & vigorous , strongest flavour. Grown in west Africa , Brazil. Smooth yellow pods & pale purple beans

5. CRIOLLO Mild or weak chocolate flavour. Grown in Indonesia, central & south America. Not hardy & produce softer red pods.

6. TRINITARIO Grown in Caribbean , Cameroon ,New Guinea. Variable colours, white bean are rare.

7. COCOA PROCESSING

8. PROCESSING OF COCOA BEANS Fermentation cocoa pulp clinging to the beans matures & turns into liquid which drains away and true chocolate flavour starts to develop. 3 types; 1. basket fermentation 2. tray fermentation 3. Box fermentation

9. BASKET FERMENTATION Quantity of the beans to be fermented is less than 40 kg. Closely woven bamboo or can basket is used.

10. Inside of the basket is provided with a lining of banana leaves. Freshly collected beans are filled and then giving a light pressing by hand. The top of the basket is covered by banana leaves. The basket is placed over a raised platform to facilitate drainage of sweating. The beans are mixed thoroughly and again covered with leaves. This process i s completed within 6 days. After the end of fermentation , drying is carried out.

11. TRAY FERMENTATION Quantity of the beans is 200-500 kg at a time. Wooden trays are used.

12. The bottom of the trays are made up of reapers. After filling , the trays are left individually for 24 hrs on a raised platform for draining. No mixing or turning of the beans is required. This process is completed within 5 days. Time & labour is saved.

13. BOX FERMENTATION Quantity of the beans is about 40 kg or more. Wooden boxes is used.

14. Care should be exercised in the making of the box to ensure that metallic nails are not used. The boxes may be individual or row of boxes. The boxes are kept in raised platform for drainage. The beans are filled in the boxes & covered with gunny bags. The process is completed within 6 days.

15. DRYING When fermentation is complete, wet mass of beans is dried either traditionally by being spread in the sun on mats or using special drying equipment. 2 types; 1. Sun drying 2. Artificial drying

16. SUN DRYING Beans are spread on palm leaf plates for drying. 45 – 60 degree Celsius are deemed to be satisfactory. It is superior than artificial drying. It takes about 6 days.

17. ARTIFICIAL DRYING Drying is carried on hot air & in vacuum. After drying, the beans are taken to dry places.

18. WINNOWING The dried beans are cracked and a stream of air separates the shell from the nib, the small pieces used to make chocolate.

19. ROASTING The nibs are roasted in ovens at temperatures between 105-120 degrees Celsius . The cocoa nibs darken , brown colour and chocolate flavour and aroma.

20. GRINDING The roasted nibs are ground in stone mills until the friction and heat of the milling reduces them to a thick chocolate- coloured liquid, known as 'mass.' It contains 53-58% cocoa butter and solidifies on cooling . This is the basis of all chocolate and cocoa products .

21. PRESSING The cocoa mass is pressed in powerful machines to extract the cocoa butter, vital to making chocolate. Press cake are pulverized into a fine powder to produce a high-grade cocoa powder & used as beverage or in cooking. The cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder are then quality inspected and shipped to our factories in Australia and New Zealand, ready to be made into chocolate.

22. COCOA PRODUCTS Cocoa nibs Cocoa butter

23. Cocoa mass (or) chocolate - coloured liquid Chocolate

24. REFERENCES Urquhart, D.H (196 1) . Cacao, Long mass, Green and co.ltd, London. Thomas, G. (1990). Canopy architecture , photosynthesis and yield of irrigated cocoa . M. Phil, thesis, Mangalore university, India.

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