Cacao is cut and eaten by first making an incision into the outer shell and then consuming the pulp and beans inside. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Cutting Cacao
- Initial Cut: According to the YouTube video "How to cut and eat Cacao fruit (chocolate fruit)", start by making a cut in the outer shell of the cacao fruit, using a sharp knife or machete.
- Hacking: The video demonstrates cutting one or more times to open the pod, indicating it might not require cutting from both sides of the fruit. The person in the video even mentions, "Don't know if I have to cut it from both sides. But. Let's see oh look at the hat. Whoops." as they struggle a little before successfully opening it.
- Opening the Pod: Once the shell has been cut open, use your hands or the knife to further separate the shell and expose the beans inside.
Eating Cacao
- Pulp Consumption: The white pulp surrounding the cacao beans is the part that's typically eaten raw. This pulp is sweet and has a mucilaginous texture. You can eat it by sucking it directly from the beans.
- Discarding the Shell and Beans: After eating the pulp, the outer shell of the cacao pod, and the beans inside are typically discarded at this stage.
- Beans and Further Processing The beans are often dried, fermented, and roasted for further processing into chocolate and cocoa products.
Summary
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Cut | Make an incision in the outer shell of the cacao pod. |
| 2. Open | Pry open the pod to expose the beans. |
| 3. Eat Pulp | Suck the white pulp off the beans for its sweet flavor. |
| 4. Discard | Discard the shell and the beans (unless they will be processed) |
In summary, cutting and eating cacao involves making an incision in the outer pod, opening it up, eating the sweet pulp, and discarding the shell and beans.
