Cocoa Bean Under Electron Microscope

This is an image I took with an electron microscope years ago. It is a close up of a Nacional Maranon fine cocoa bean. The darker area is the cotyledon, or kernel of the cocoa bean also known as a cocoa nib. The lighter part around it is the testa or thin paper-like shell of the cocoa bean.

It’s a very striking photo, and the fissures on the cotyledon look like rivers running through a rocky mountain side. Even close up, cacao is a beautiful little seed.