Cocoa Bean Fermentation Metagenome. Cocoa Bean Fermentation

Cacao fermentation is a crucial process in the production of chocolate flavor and aroma, followed by drying and roasting. This process is facilitated by environmental microbes that colonize and break down the cacao pulp, resulting in a diverse range of metabolic end-products. The fermentation process of cacao beans follows a predictable microbial succession, starting with yeast and bacteria from the Enterobacterales order, transitioning to the dominance of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), and concluding with the prevalence of Acid Acetic Bacteria (AAB). Understanding this microbial succession is essential for achieving consistent and high-quality chocolate flavor and aroma. This data set corresponds to a metagenomic data, from Cocoa Fermentation in Colombia.