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In the Sambirano region all three types of cocoa grow: Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario. Criollo is a rare species, which only grows in rainy regions such as at the foot of the mountains in the Sambirano valley. Criollo is a very sensitive and not very fruitful species. Compared with the other cocoa species, the Criollo pods have an uneven surface. The beans have a delicate flavour which is especially suitable for chocolates with a high percentage of cocoa. A cut Criollo bean has an almost white colour inside.
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The soft, white fruit pulp of a ripe cocoa pod is sugar sweet and rich in Vitamin C. Children, but also adults, like to chew on fresh pulps.
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Cocoa trees grow best in the shade of other trees, such as fruit trees, acacia or wild ylang-ylang. Most of the cocoa fruits grow on the tree stem, others on branches. The quality of cocoa does not depend on the colour of the pods. Ripe cocoa fruits can be harvested throughout the entire year. Harvesting usually takes place in the morning hours, whereby the farmer carefully chops the fruit off their stems with a special harvesting knife (a type of machete on a stick with a round peak, similar to a hook). The farmer needs to be very careful not to harm the floral button, from where a new flower will grow. Thereafter the farmer opens the pod and separates the beans from the fruit pulp by hand. Each fruit contains about 50 seeds.
