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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Winnowing cacao seeds

About this photograph

Creator
Janel Monroe
Date created
June 2008
Location
Barlovento, Venezuela
License
This photograph copyright ©2009. Terms of use

See this photograph in context

  • The transformation of cacao into chocolate: Transforming cacao into chocolate is a labor-intensive process that involves many steps. This slideshow tells the story of that process, focusing on one cacao plantation in the Barlovento region of Venezuela. (Page 12)

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people gathered around a wooden bowl of cacao seeds

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On a cacao plantation in Barlovento, Venezuela, visitors gather around a bowl of roasted cacao seeds to winnow them — removing the papery membrane from the outside of the seeds.

The seeds come from the cacao tree (Thebroma Cacao), which is native to tropical Central and South America. Winnowing is one of the many steps that turns the cacao seeds into cocoa. Before winnowing, the seeds have been picked, peeled, fermented, dried, and roasted. Later, they’ll be ground into a paste.