How Fermentation and Drying Shape the Flavor of Cacao
What sets Cacao Nacional apart from other cacao varieties is flavor. A huge factor in assuring flavor complexity is what happens after harvesting the cacao.
“I would say 50 percent of what influences flavor is genetics, they are the core component in what the flavor possibility is, and Cacao Nacional has optimal flavor possibility,” says Zaczek. “If the genetics show what is possible, the second part of the process requires the information and know-how to meet that possibility, including the chocolate maker’s capacity to turn it into good chocolate,” she adds.
The first step in harnessing the potential of refined flavor in the post-harvest practices is fermentation.
When harvested, cacao beans are wrapped with a white, sweet and fruity pulp. This pulp is in part responsible for inducing the fermentation process. “It works like anything you ferment,” says Emily Meza-Wilson, “think sourdough bread for instance. You have a lot of bacteria in there that affects flavor. When you play around with temperatures, this could make your chocolate more creamy or more fruity.”
Once the beans are cast in a large wooden container, microorganisms start to decay the fruit pulp. This leads to the formation of organic acids and causes a temperature increase that assures the death of the embryo. The chocolate flavor begins here as the bitterness and astringency of cacao goes down.
“Compounds inside cacao beans prior to fermentation contain bitter and astringent compounds,” says Meza-Wilson. “In the fermentation process, these are reduced significantly by the chemical reactions during fermentation which allows for the expression of a wide array of complex flavors.”
The fermentation process can generally take four to five days. But this can vary. “You can’t use one standard process with cacao because every step can take more or less time depending on the batch,” says the CEO of Mindo Chocolate Makers. “It can depend on size, so if the beans are larger it will take more time, but it can also depend on other factors like temperature and humidity.”
Once properly fermented, the beans are sun-dried in raised beds for as long as two weeks, depending on the weather. This step helps to preserve the fermentation flavors and is essential to prevent mold and bacteria growth, making it safe for storage and further processing.
Sun drying happens in covered lifted-beds to avoid any contamination.
Mindo Chocolate Makers focuses on direct trade in order to ensure not only that the fermentation process is done correctly, but also that the cacao beans aren’t dried on the side of the road, or using machinery. This can contaminate cacao beans with lead from gasoline, or infuse the flavor with gas when heated up with machines, according to Meza-Wilson.
“Cacao isn’t meant for a conveyor belt factory style system,“ says Meza-Wilson, “It’s all about the care and time you put into every step.”
Sol Miranda is a writer based in Quito, Ecuador. Their work has also appeared in Al Jazeera, Remezcla, TeleSur English, Open Democracy, and others. You can reach them at b.solmirandx@gmail.com