A Cocoa Bean Is Born

Somewhat counterintuitively, cocoa is not born a bean. In order to become the cocoa bean we all know and love so well, the seed of Theobroma cacao must first be fermented and dried. The process looks like this: First, whole cocoa pods are harvested from the trees. This occurs at various times throughout the year as not all the pods ripen at once. Once harvested, they are transported to a fermenting facility. Back at the facility, the pods are cut open and the pulp and cocoa seeds are removed and the rind is discarded. The pulp and seeds are piled in heaps, placed in bins, or laid out on grates. The...