Cacao pulp ✦

Pulpe de cacao

What it is

At Santa Ana-La Florida in Ecuador, cacao residues 5,300 years old show the plant was first used for its pulp, fermented into a drink, long before anyone thought to roast the seed. The pulp tastes of lychee and mangosteen and carries no trace of chocolate.

In the kitchen

It arrives frozen as a puree and it is already acidic - sorbet it at about a quarter of its weight in sugar and add no lemon at all. Keep it under 40C: the aroma leaves with the first real heat.

Goes with

Lime Passion fruit Coconut Dark rum Vanilla Mango

Same species

Blond chocolate Cocoa mass Cocoa butter Cocoa bean husk Cocoa nibs Dutch-process cocoa powder

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