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Most if not all cocoa plantations in Madagascar are operated by small independently run family farming businesses, who have been growing cocoa without use of fertilisers and other mass farming methods in ther natural environment for generations. While slave labour is commonly reported in the cocoa industry, especially in the Ivory Coast, it is non-existent in Madagascar. Much of Sambirano's cocoa grow on former fruit plantations from the French colonial period. The resulting cocoa has strong hints of fruit flavour and is naturally sweet, which makes it especially suitable for producing non-bitter dark chocolates without use of excessive sugar content or other additives. Furthermore, the final chocolate product is usually one that is rich in antioxidant flavoinoids, the healthy and reputedly aphrodisiac ingredients that can be found in high proportions in pure Malagasy cocoa. <!--(phenylethylamine??)-->
[[File:Chocolaterie Robert]] and [[Cinagra 013.jpg|thumb|600px|none|Cinagra Tsar Noir 100%]]are the only two bean-to-bar chocolate producers in Madagascar. Their chocolate is of single Malagasy origin, meaning they both grow their own cocoa and produce their chocolates in Madagascar.
[[Chocolaterie Robert]] and [[File:Cinagra 013.jpg|thumb|600px|none|CinagraTsar Noir 100%]] are the only two bean-to-bar chocolate producers in Madagascar. Their chocolate is of single Malagasy origin, meaning they both grow their own cocoa and produce their chocolates in Madagascar.
<!--{|style="width:608px;border:1px solid green"|-|[[File:Chocolaterie Robert dates back to 1937, when a French couple, Mr and Mrs 023.jpg|thumb|290px|none|Chocolaterie Robert, set up Madagascar's first chocolate headquarter and factory in Brickaville. Today, Antananarivo]]|[[File:Chocolaterie Robert's bars can be found everywhere 017.jpg|thumb|290px|none|A classic light (34% cocoa) chocolate from small village shops to upmarket confectionery stores in metropolitan areas. In 2006 Chocolaterie Robert's Mora Mora and Sambirano brands respectively won ]]|-|[[File:Cinagra 038.jpg|290px|thumb|none|Malagasy workers at the Chocolate AcademyCinagra factory packaging their fine chocolate bars by hand]]|[[File:Cinagra 060.jpg|left|thumb|290px|none|Cinagra's Silver Cup range of chocolate bars in 2010: Tsar, Pallissandre and the Best Buy Ethical Award.Eben]]|}-->
<table width="600" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td>[[File:Chocolaterie Robert 023.jpg|290px|thumb|none|Chocolaterie Robert's headquarter and factory in Antananarivo]]</td><td>[[File:Chocolaterie Robert 017.jpg|290px|thumb|none|A classic light (34% cocoa) chocolate from Chocolaterie Robert]]</td></tr><tr><td>[[File:Cinagra 038.jpg|200px290px|thumb|leftnone|Malagasy workers at the Cinagra factory packaging their fine chocolate bars by hand]]</td><td>[[File:Cinagra 060.jpg|290px|thumb|none|Cinagra's range of chocolate bars in 2010: Tsar, Pallissandre and Eben]]</td></tr></table>
The more recently established Cinagra, has been making chocolate at their [[Antananarivo]] based factory since 2006, also using single origin cocoa plantations in the Sambirano region. In 2009 their 63% cocoa based Tsar bar won first price at the prestigious [http://www.salon-du-chocolat.com Salon de Chocolat Paris] in France and since 2008, they are producing chocolate for [[Madecasse]], a brand which is exported and sold primarily within US and Canada.
A third, small but nonetheless appreciated Madagascar chocolate maker is [[Chocolaterie Colbert]]. Although they do not run their own farms or buy and process cocoa directly from farmers and can therefore not be classified a bean-to-bar producer, their recipes are their own and since they buy the raw ingredients from both Chocolaterie Robert and Cinagra, their final products are of single Malagasy origin. Colbert's highly priced range of handmade pralines and chocolate bars can be found only at [[Pâtisserie Colbert]] in Antananarivo. Their chocolates which are handmade by a small team of talented chocolatiers and always sold fresh at the counter, make ideal presents for special occasions.<br clear="all">
