SIFAT KIMIA COKLAT BATANG DARI BIJI KAKAO KERING NON FERMENTASI DAN FERMENTASI YANG DIKERINGKAN DENGAN BERBAGAI METODE PENGERINGAN

Two important steps in cocoa bean processing, namely fermentation and drying processes, are the standard procedures for processing raw cacao bean practized in cacao producing countries. Fermentation, which is known to enhance subsequence chocolate flavor also serves preservation to the dried beans. However, for simplicity and economic reasons, Indonesian cacao farmers often sell their dried cacao product in a unfermented condition. This condition results in market price reduction for the Indonesian cacao product mention above in the international markets. Drying process that preserves the cacao bean is also believed to affect the flavor of chocolate final products. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of several drying methods of fermented and unfermented cacao beans, employed in Blimbing Ponjong in the district of Gunung Kidul Yogyakarta, Indonesia, (direct sun-drying, plastic covered sundrying, and Samoan drying) on the chemical and sensoric characteristics of the subsequent chocolate products of the correspondent dried beans. Results indicated that drying methods of cacao beans were significantly affect their chemical characteristics (total polyphenol, amino acid profile, pH, titrable acidity, totatl and reducing sugar. Sensoric evaluation of the corresponding chocolate bars indicated that those from plastic-covered sun-drying, both fermented and unfermented beans, were most accepted by panelistsover those from direct sun drying and Samoan drying. Chocolate from fermented beans clearly more superior compared to those unfermented. Several flavor contributing volatile components (trimethylpyrazine, tetramethylpirazine, and 2,3,5-trimethyl-6-ethylpirazine) apparently produced during cacao beans fermentation and did not appeare in the chocolate products from unfermented beans. The findings also confirmed, by the sensoric evaluation. The specific chocolate flavor were strongly detected in the product form fermented beans. The chocolate bars from the local beans characterized by the following components: titrable acidity 0.02 meq NaOH/g (Ph 5.66), total polyphenol 13.29 mg eq.Galic acid/g, and theobromine of 0.70%