the main components of the mucilage, are fermented, releasing heat and yielding various metabolic products, among others are ethanol, lactic acid, and acetic acid. The combined effects are the death of the beans and the development of various precursors for the cocoa flavor formation. It also turns the color of the beans to brown-black, reduces the bitterness, improves the cocoa and nutty flavor, and hardens the cocoa bean shell. However, detailed mechanisms on this process have not been clearly understood.