Cocoa Bean Harvest and Fermentation

First, during the harvest process, the cocoa pods are picked and then split in half. Then, the beans are removed by hand. They, with the pulp, are put in a large container of some sort covered with banana leaves and let sit for a few days. The pulp starts to have a chemical reaction. It then ‘melts’ away, leaving the beans in the container. Then the beans are dried and sent to the chocolate factory.