Post-harvest techniques: the most important factor determining quality

This photo illustrates the fermentation process. There are four boxes, three of which are full of the fresh cocoa beans, the last box (not visible here) is empty.

Once the boxes have been filled with cocoa beans, they are covered with banana leaves and left to ferment for 48 hours. This anaerobic process occurs at a temperature of 45-50°C. After 48 hours, the empty box is filled, and the contents of each box are moved to the neighboring box. This movement allows for more uniform fermentation, and should be done twice to ensure quality.