Cocoa Beans in a Cocoa pod
the light-colored, sweet, pulp inside the pods and left to ferment for a few days. Traditionally, this was done in big heaps on the ground. In more modern operations, this is done in bins. After a few days, the seeds are separated from the pulp, spread out more thinly and allowed to dry in the sun. Once dry, the cocoa beans are shipped to chocolate manufacturers.
Once at the chocolate factory, the beans are roasted at around 250 °F (121 °C) for about an hour. This roasting darkens the beans (via some of the same browning reactions that occur during dark malt production). The shells are then cracked and the kernels (called nibs) are gathered. The nibs are then ground into a dark brown, bitter paste called chocolate liquor (or pure chocolate). Chocolate liquor is, on average, 47% cocoa solids and 53% cocoa butter. Despite the name, it is not alcoholic.
Cocoa bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted.