Cocoa bean heap

The fermentation of the Chanalan cocoa bean heap is seen in Sub-Saharan Africa. The cocoa beans undergo fermentation before processing for chocolate production. After removal of beans and pulp from pods, the pulp-bean mass is piled into heaps, covered with plantain leaves, and spontaneous fermentation starts. Camu et al. (2007, 2008) studied biodiversity of population d3mamics and metabolomics in several spontaneous heap fermentations. Culture-dependent and culture-independent molecular methods were used for identification of acetic acid bacteria. 

Camu N, Gonzalez A, De Winter T, Schoor AV, De Bruyne K, Vandamme P, Takama JS, Addo SK, De Vuyst LD (2008) Influence of tuning and environmental contamination on the dynamics of populations of acetic acid and acetic acid bacteria involved in spontaneous cocoa bean heap fermentation in Ghana. Appl Environ Microbiol 74 86-98 Caro I, Palacios VM, Perez L (1998) Kinetic models for the acetic acid fermentation. Recent Res Dev Biotechnol Bioeng 1 203-211... 

Daniel H-M, Vrancken G, Takrama JF, Camu N, De Vos P, De Vuyst L (2009) Yeast diversity of Ghanaian cocoa bean heap fermentations. FEMS Yeast Res 9 774—783 De Keersmaecker J (1996) The mystery of lambic beer. Sci Am 275 74—81 de Melo Pereira GV, Miguel MGCP, Ramos CL, Schwan RF (2012) Microbiological and physicochemical characterization of small-scale cocoa fermentations and screening of yeast... 

Qeenwerck, I., Gonzalez, A., Camu, N., et al. (2008) Acetobacter fabarum sp. nov., an acetic acid bacterium from a Ghanaian cocoa bean heap fermentation. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 58, 2180-2185. 

De Vuyst, L., Takrama, J.F., Ampomah, Y.A., et al. (2010b) Influence of a lactic acid bacterium/acetic acid bacterium starter culture on cocoa bean heap fermentation dynamics and chocolate flavour. Proceedings of the 16 International Cocoa Research Conference, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, November 16-20, pp. 1325-1332. 

The type strain is R-29337 (= 430A" = DSM 18895" = LMG 23848" ), isolated from a traditional heap fermentation of Ghanaian cocoa beans. The DNA G+C content of the type strain is 57.3 mol%. 

Camu N, De Winter T, Verbrugghe K, Cleenwerck I, Vandamme P, Takrama JS, Vancanneyt M, Vuyst LD (2007) Dynamics and biodiversity of populations of lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria involved in spontaneous heap fermentation of cocoa beans in Ghana. Appl Environ Microbiol 73 1809-1824... 

Nothing could be simpler. Just put a heaping tablespoon (yielding about 5 grams or more of pure cocoa) or two (or three for a really intense flavor) into a cup or a mug and pour in the hot coffee. Sweeten it with either sugar or an artificial sweetener to taste. Perhaps splash in a dollop of milk. Enjoy If you find that you like this a lot, as I do, you can even add the cocoa powder to the ground coffee beans as you make your pot in the morning or any time of the day. 

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