Winnowing
Visitors to the plantation gather around a bowl of roasted cacao seeds to remove the papery membrane from the outside of the seeds. (Learn more)
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The process of removing the outer shell is known as winnowing. The shells of the cacao seeds have been loosened and have become thin and brittle in the roasting process. In winnowing, the shells are cracked open and removed, along with the husk — a thin, papery membrane surrounding the seed. This step reveals the nib, the meaty part inside the seed that will become chocolate.
Photographs and text by Janel Monroe
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