Once fermented, cacao beans have to be dried so they won’t rot during transport or storage. Sun-drying is favored for best flavor and is the simplest option for small-scale growers. It requires bringing the beans under cover at night, or any time it might rain, making it labor-intensive at larger scales. Heated air-dryers are more consistent than the sun, but exposure to smoke will alter the flavor of the beans, as will drying too fast.
Sun-drying can also have disadvantages for consumers. Kevin Straub of Creo Chocolate saw beans spread along Ecuadorean roadsides and sidewalks to dry, and Mort Rosenblum encountered the same thing in Africa. The beans get dry, but they might also get a light coating of motor oil. Even if the beans aren’t dried on the road, animals may have access to the beans while they’re drying as well, and can track feces onto them. For this reason, chocolate makers like Creo Chocolate are strict about separating raw and roasted beans: roasting doubles as disinfection, and nobody wants to cross-contaminate.
Once the beans are dry, they can be shipped—under carefully controlled conditions, of course. Excess moisture will cause the beans to rot, and they can pick up scents and flavors from their surroundings. At least one chocolate maker has beans shipped in special bags implanted with tracking chips, so he can monitor them from his desk in Switzerland.
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