Drying in the sun
The plantation owner, at left, shows a volunteer how to flip the cacao seeds as they dry on the cement. Each pile is labeled with a white piece of paper marking the number of days it has been drying. (Learn more)
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As they dry, the beans must be turned to ensure they are dried evenly. During the drying process, the seeds lose most of the moisture they absorbed during fermentation and their weight is reduced by more than half.
Learn more about South America, Venezuela, cacao, and chocolate.
Photographs and text by Janel Monroe
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