Understanding the Differences Between Coffee Beans and Cocoa Beans

Coffee is the world’s most consumed beverage, with around 400 billion cups being enjoyed globally each year. It is cultivated on farms around the world and undergoes various processes, including harvesting, processing, and drying, before reaching the roastery. Cocoa, similarly grown on farms, also goes through a lengthy process to reach our shelves. However, despite their similarities, coffee and cocoa beans have distinct differences. Let’s dive into how they compare.

While the exact origin of coffee is uncertain, one of the most popular stories is that of Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder. Kaldi noticed his goats behaving unusually after eating red berries from a shrub. Curious, he tried the berries himself and felt the same effects. Excited by his discovery, Kaldi rushed to show the monks at a nearby monastery, but they weren’t impressed at first. One monk even threw the berries into the fire, unknowingly roasting them. The aroma that filled the monastery sparked the monks’ interest, and they soon began brewing the beans, drinking it daily to aid their religious rituals.

Cocoa Beans

Cocoa’s origins are more clearly documented, with archaeologists finding evidence of the ancient Maya tribe cultivating the cocoa tree around 1000 BC in Mesoamerica. Cocoa was highly valued by the Maya, who named it “Food of the Gods.” It played a central role in ceremonies and was even used as currency. Ground cocoa beans were often mixed with vanilla and spices to make a ceremonial beverage.

Harvesting Methods: Coffee vs. Cocoa

Coffee Harvesting:

Coffee beans are the seeds inside coffee cherries, which grow on coffee plants. Once ripe, these cherries turn a deep red, signaling that it’s time to harvest. Different farms use different methods for picking the cherries. Some farms use strip picking, where all cherries are harvested at once, regardless of ripeness, resulting in lower-grade coffee. In contrast, specialty coffee farms hand-pick only the ripest cherries, ensuring a higher-quality product.

Cocoa Harvesting:

Cocoa pods ripen at different times, making harvesting a challenge. Farmers use machetes to carefully cut ripe pods from the tree, ensuring not to damage the tree, as this can affect future crops. Since the pods ripen at different times, hand-picking is essential, and under-ripe pods are avoided.

Processing and Drying: Coffee vs. Cocoa

Coffee Processing:

After harvesting, coffee cherries are processed through one of three methods: washed, honey, or natural. The washed process uses water to remove the flesh from the bean, while the honey process leaves some flesh intact to enhance sweetness. In the natural process, the cherries are dried with their flesh still attached, and then the flesh is removed.

After processing, coffee beans are dried on patios or raised beds to ensure even drying. Mechanical dryers are used when sunlight is insufficient, though sun-dried coffee is often considered of higher quality.

Cocoa Processing:

Cocoa beans undergo a fermentation process immediately after harvest, which helps develop their flavor. During fermentation, beans are turned regularly in wooden boxes, allowing the pulp to drain off. After fermentation, the beans are dried, typically on drying beds or patios, with moisture levels reduced to around 7%. In some regions, greenhouses with solar heaters are used to ensure proper drying, especially during wet weather.

Roasting: Coffee vs. Cocoa

Coffee Roasting:

Roasting coffee involves monitoring sensory milestones and adjusting the heat based on the desired outcome. Factors such as the bean’s moisture and density are considered to determine the roast profile, which can vary based on the intended brewing method. Coffee roasting also involves careful monitoring of the first crack, a critical point during roasting, which signals the beans’ transition to the development phase.

Cocoa Roasting:

While cocoa beans undergo a similar process of fermentation and drying, they are typically roasted at a higher temperature to bring out the full range of flavors. The roasting process for cocoa is not as sensitive to variables like moisture content as coffee roasting, but it still plays an important role in developing the bean’s distinctive chocolatey flavor.

Cocoa

Before roasting cocoa beans, it’s important to first examine them and get a better understanding of their characteristics. Knowing their origin, moisture content, and size helps determine the best approach for roasting.

Cocoa beans vary in size, and it’s essential to roast only beans that are uniform in size to ensure even heat distribution during the process.

Just like with specialty coffee beans, the moisture and density of cocoa beans should be monitored and recorded. Ideally, cocoa beans should have a moisture content between 6-7%. Cocoa beans tend to be less dense than coffee beans due to their higher fat content, meaning cocoa roasters can roast twice the amount of cocoa compared to coffee. For instance, a roaster with a 10kg capacity for coffee would be able to handle 20kg of cocoa.

Before selecting a roast profile, cocoa roasters should familiarize themselves with the beans’ sensory characteristics. Some roasters taste the raw beans to identify their flavors and tailor the roast to enhance them.

The charge temperature (or starting temperature in coffee roasting) marks the beginning of the cocoa roast. A lower charge temperature will bring out more delicate flavors, while a higher charge temperature tends to produce stronger flavors.

The cocoa industry is still in the process of developing roasting standards, which means roasters are experimenting to find the optimal techniques for their beans. As a general guideline, to highlight fruity and floral notes, roasters slightly raise the heat to between 110-116°C. For a fuller body and caramel notes, the temperature is typically increased to between 130-135°C. However, these temperature ranges vary depending on the specific physical traits of the beans.

Unlike coffee beans, cocoa beans don’t change color during roasting, but the aroma undergoes a transformation. Initially, unpleasant smells, such as vinegar-like notes, emerge, which later evolve into more pleasant fragrances as the beans roast.

Cocoa roasters also listen for a cracking sound, signaling that the roast is nearly complete.

As the cocoa roasting industry continues to evolve, there is still limited guidance available compared to coffee roasting, allowing cocoa roasters to experiment and fine-tune their methods to discover what works best for them.

These differences highlight the distinct challenges and approaches in roasting cocoa versus coffee.