Scientific research

The drying conditions to comply with are as follows: a temperature of 65-70°C (17-18 h), thickness 23-27 cm, and a moderate air flow of 0.4-0.5 m/s to avoid "caking".

As paraphrased by Bonvehi et al (1998):
"Artificial drying reduces the processing time and yields a more homogeneous product but increases acidity and incorporates a fruity taste to cocoa (Jacquet et al., 1980). It is convenient to dry at a moderate temperature (<80°C), because the more the temperature increases, the larger is the retention of acidity in the cotyledons (Jacquet et al., 1980)."