The Manufacture of Chocolate and other Cacao Preparations. Paul Zipperer
f) I. American Cacao Varieties.
A. Central America.
We begin with
Mexico, the classical cacao land, scarcely of importance to the general trade, as the greater part of its entire produce, comprising about three thousand tons yearly, is consumed in its native country. Of the other Central American states, next to
Nicaragua, whose large Venezuelan-like beans find their way to the Hamburg market from time to time,
Costa Rica is above all worthy of mention. This state began to export its home produce in 1912, averaging for that year about 60 tons; and in 1909, the export had already increased to 350 tons, mostly to England and North America, through the shipping port called Port Limon.
B. South America.
Columbia. From this republic come two distinct sorts; the rare, rounded, and native
Cauca bean, which is nearly related to the Maracaibo variety, and which cultivated along the Magdalena river is in the main shipped from Baranquille, on the Caribbean sea, occasionally also from Bueneventura on the Pacific coast; and then the
Tumaco Cacao, so named from the small shipping port on the Ecuador border, which resembles the inferior sorts of the Ecuador coast.
Cauca-and Tumaco-cacaos are only seldom free from defective beans and worm-eatings, probably less caused by the primitive processes of preparation than the difficult means of communication in this country. Then also considerable quantities are retained for home consumption.
Ecuador is the home of the cacao richest in aroma, the country which first developed the plantation system on a large and well organised scale, and which was still at the head of cacao-harvesting lands a few years ago, with a yearly produce of about 32,000 tons. Yet although it had increased this amount to 40,000 tons in the year 1911, Ecuador can only take second rank among cultivating lands, the Gold Coast coming first. The following and most valuable varieties are embraced under the name of the chief shipping port.
GUAYAQUIL. They are:
1. Arriba, i.e. above, these cacaos coming from the upper tributaries of the rio Guaya (the rivers Daule, Vinces, Publoviejo, and Zapatol). The Arribas, like the Guayaquil cacaos generally, are chiefly used in the preparation of cacao powders. They form e.g. the principal constituents of the Dutch cacao powders, especially the so-called superior Summer-Arriba, harvested from the month of April to July. All that is gathered in other seasons falls into the general class “Arriba superior de la época
The cacaos of the months immediately following on Summer, the rebuscos, after crop, are as a rule the most inferior varieties of arriba, whilst the Christmas harvest of the months of January and February (cosecha de Navidad) often yields quite excellent sorts.
2. Machála, second in importance among the Guayaquil sorts, rather more fatty than the ariba, and differing from this again in Aroma and the colour of its kernel, which is of a rather darker brown. Chief cultivation occurs in the low lying land bordering on Peru and lying opposite the island of Jambeli, where the prevailing climatic conditions are quite different from those in the arriba districts, although these are not far removed. August and September are the harvest months for Machala. Ten years ago this sort was shipped in large measure from the then newly created harbour Puerto Bolivar. But since large ocean going steamers no longer call there, it now takes the more roundabout route via Guayaquil.
3. Baláo. This variety can be described as a mean between Machala and Arriba. It has some of the characteristics of both, the bean being somewhat rounder.
4. Naranjal and Tenguél are likewise subdivisions of the foregoing, except that the bean is here much larger and flatter. As the production of all three sorts, and especially of Balao, is substantially greater than what finds its way to the market, we may reasonably assume that a large proportion is used for mixing purposes, and sails on commercial seas, as it were, under false colours. Cultivating district: the Machala district situated along the Jambeli canal, and the stretch of coast watered by the rivers Balao and Naranjal.
5. Pegados (i.e. stuck together) or Pelatos (balls) is the description of the cacaos comprised of series of 4–10 beans rolled together, generally developing from overripe fruit. They experience a particular kind of fermentation, apparently the result of the fruity substances still evident, which gives the light coloured kernels a soft aromatic flavour. For several years these sorts have rarely been seen on the European market, they being generally reserved for home consumption.
6. Oscuros, i.e. dark coloured, a refuse sort rightly viewed with suspicion in manufacturing circles—Pelotas soaked in water, or beans left in the clefts and fissures of the drying chamber floors.—The black shell of the bean encloses a brownish and dirty-looking kernel, the colour sometimes approaching black: the whole bean giving a disagreeable impression, as it is often disfigured with mould, and possessed of a disagreeable odour. For several years this variety served the “crooks” of the commercial world as mixing material for the so-called “flavouring” of Machala, but it now again appears as a distinct sort.
The shipping port for all these cacao sorts is Guayaquil; though other harbours also handle valuable varieties. Such, for example, are
a) Bahia de Caraquéz, and the small haven of Manta lying south of this town, which deals in a sort resembling a blended Machala-Balao, though occasionally light brown in appearance and of aromatic flavour. This cacao is generally labelled as Caraquéz for short, and is to be distinguished from Caraque, the French term for Caracas cacao.
The chief harvesting months are June and July; the April-May arrivals, however, are usually better, as the setting-in of the rainy season increases the difficulties of drying. The harvest in 1909 reached 3,000 tons, and is normally from 2000 to 5,000 tons yearly.
b) Esmeraldas, similar to the foregoing, but of perceptibly inferior output, possesses only a very insignificant yield (about 150 tons a year), and this in spite of the cultivating capacities of the interior.
Peru, the most southerly producing land on the west coast can likewise only boast of a very insignificant yield, chiefly destined for home consumption.
Brazil, with its two great sorts for consumption, Bahia and Para cacao, and a yearly production of round 33,000 tons, has from the years 1906–1909 far outrun all other harvesting lands. Yet although it was able to increase this to 36,250 tons in 1911 it must nevertheless take second place among cultivating lands, the Gold Coast and Ecuador preceding.
A most important factor on the market is included under the specification Bahia-cacao. Here again the shipping port has given its name to the cacao sort. It is harvested in three southerly situated districts, Ilheos, Belmonte, and Canavieiras, and is despatched to Bahia from harbours of the same name, in sailing vessel which sometimes ship a thousand sacks.
Ilheos despatches the inferior of the two principal varieties “Fair fermented” and “Superior fermented” that is, the first-named, and so furnishes two-thirds of the Bahia crop. The cacao areas in the district of Ilheos are situated on rather high and mountainous ground, where arresting atmospheric conditions often predominate. Also the absence of any waterway whatever renders it a necessity to despatch the cacao to Bahia on beasts of burden, which during the rainy season can scarcely find a footing on the beaten tracks. It is, then, the unfavourable atmospheric conditions, combined with a certain carelessness on the part of the planter in the preparing processes, which prejudices the otherwise excellent quality of the Bahia bean, and more especially in the months of June, July and August.
At this period it is no rarity to find from 10 to 20 percent of waste beans, and in general only the December-February months offer anything approaching a guarantee as to quality. But here no hard and fast rule can be adduced.
Belmonte