The Manufacture of Chocolate and other Cacao Preparations. Paul Zipperer

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СКАЧАТЬ cacaos hailing from small plantations which have undergone a scarcely sufficient preparation owing to the lack of proper apparatus, and which are always interspersed with black or sham beans. In so far as these are delivered from large plantations, they generally owe their origin to overripe fruit, probably overlooked in the gathering season; or fruits bitten by the rats which infest this island may also contribute such beans. Almost all these inferior cacaos are sorted in the Lisbon custom-houses, and thinned down to the quality “Medium Thomas” free from objection or “Good Medium Thomas The two months of the Summer harvest, July and August, supply a somewhat better variety of cacao, known in commerce as “Pajol”, i.e. literally, “Hailing from the country”, which generally fetches a rather higher price. During the Winter harvest from November to February the medium St. Thomas varieties come on the market, but not before the beginning of the year, as previous to that point of time only the regular harvest of Fine St. Thomas comes into consideration. All attempts on the part of consumers to effect an improvement in the quality of the medium varieties have unfortunately hitherto proved abortive, for they are regarded as by-produce on the larger estates, and the small ones do not possess the apparatus necessary for a thorough preparation. Then again it is seen that these inferior sorts are taken off the market at very reasonable prices.

      Fernando Po, a mountainous island, situated immediately off Cameroon, may be regarded as a source of supply for the Motherland, Spain, and only as such, for its yearly output of 2500 tons need fear no competition, thanks to the excessive tariffs laid on the produce of other lands here. The qualities here are inferior to those from St. Thomas and Cameroon, chiefly because most plantation are in the hands of blacks and consequently not well managed.

      German East Africa, Madagascar, Mayotta (Comoren) and Réunion with their dwarfish yield are only worthy of passing mention.

      III. Asiatic Cacao Sorts.

      The only cacao plantations deserving the name on the continent of Asia are those occurring on the two islands of Ceylon and Java, both producing a sort differing entirely from the Africans, the predominant seedling here planted being the Trinidad-Criollo. The Ceylon-Java bean is, like the genuine Criollo, oval shaped, inclining to a sphere; its kernel is light brown and among the finer sorts even whitish. So both varieties are principally used for colouring and covering the cacao mass, for neither has a very pronounced flavour. The shell is light brown or reddish brown after washing, and appears free from all traces of pulp. It sits loosely on the kernel, at least in the case of the Java bean, and is consequently often met with broken.

      Ceylon, with the shipping port of Colombo, produces in a good year from 3,500 to 4,000 tons, about two-thirds of which are traded through London. Direct shipments to Germany have recently been more and more frequent; Australia also claims consideration as a consuming land.

      The different sorts, or rather, qualities, for a very careful preparation ensures the excellence of the goods, go under the description fine, or medium, or ordinary, and occasionally are utilised as typical examples. The better sorts come exclusively from plantations, and the ordinary are the result of native enterprise.

      Java also produces a large quantity, the cacao here being chiefly planted on the north side of this long, narrow island. More than a half is exported from the port of Samarang, then follow Batavia, Soerabaja and a few minor places, with a total output of about 2,500 tons. The larger proportion of this cacao is sold in the markets of Amsterdam and Rotterdam to Dutch merchants, who pass it on to other consuming countries. England, North America, Australia, China and the Philippines are the chief customers.

      Those sorts coming from the neighbouring islands of Celebes, Timor, Bali, Amboina and Lombok may also be considered as sub-classes of the Java; but they do not total more than 75 tons.

      IV. Australian Cacao Sorts.

      Cacao plantation in Australia is still in its early stages. Most progressive is

      Samoa, which has increased its 1900 export of 30 cwt. to 200 tons at the present time, among which right excellent qualities occur, culled from Criollo trees. The deteriorated Forastero has also recently been planted, which we must allow to be more fruitful and less dependent on careful nursing. The Samoa Criollo bean resembles the large fine Ceylon variety, except that it has a more pronounced flavour.

      New Guinea and Bismarck-Archipelagoes can only claim casual mention as experimentally interested in cacao cultivation.

      g) The Trade in Cacao and the Consumption of Cacao Products; Statistics.

      It will accordingly prove of interest to glance through the returns in connection with the trade in these goods, their importation and exportation, commercial values of the same, and the relative consumption of cacao, tea and coffee.

      Such figures are always at hand. The surprisingly rapid growth of the cacao cultivation, and the manufacture of cacao products, is e.g. at once apparent in statistics furnished by the French government. In 1857 the number of 5,304,207 kilos of beans were consumed there. The importations of the year 1895, on the other hand, amounted to 32,814,724 kilos, having in the space of 38 years increased more than sixfold. Of this quantity, almost the half, comprising about 15,234,163 kilos, is disposed of retail.

      Turning to the trade in Germany, the cacao industry here and its consumption,19 we are again greeted with cheery prospects. According to the official inquiry, German trade in Cacao products for the years 1907–1910 is shown in the following table:

      

      Table 1.

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No. on offic. statistics	Description	Imports to Germany	Exports from Germany
Duty Free	inclusive
1907	1908	1909	1910	1910	1907	1908	1909	1910
63	Cacao Bean raw	345154	343519	407248	439413	—	1390	1186	1429	1620
64	Cacao Shell whole	55	1	6	6	—	12802	9901	11825	17006
168	Cacao Butter Cacao Oil	243	106	208	263	22223	20804	18494	27291	22465