Kati Notes

Northern Madagascar

• fertile north is the hottest and wettest region of Madagascar

• most fertile region of Madagascar due to the near location to the equator (about 1.400km south) and regular rainfall, especially in the months from December to March, and an average temperature of 25C

• tropical climate with regular (almost daily) rainfall, mostly during the evening and night

• most of the countryside in the north is cultivated land (farmland) for vanilla, cocoa, sugar cane, rice, coffee, pepper, ylang-ylang, oranges

• Sambirano Valley always wet, humid climate

Ambanja

• located a bit inland of the mouth of the Sambirano river

• located in the northwest of Madagascar

Sambirano River

• flows into the Mozambique Channel

• Ramena river and Ambatra river flow into the Sambirano river

ADAPS

• independent farmers association

• have certificate

• farm and process the cocoa after regulations (farming, fermentation) to ensure a good quality cocoa

Cocoa Farmers

• peasant farmers (small farmers)

• Robert - bean to bar on location, single source

Ferdinand Jaomanoro

• +261 (0)32 62 31 056

• cocoa farmer, lives in the village Ambalavelona, about ...km from Ambanja

• president of ADAPS cooperation in this area (is one of the founding members, 2004)

• 0.66ha cocoa plantation with about 400 cocoa trees of mixed species (planted in 1978)

• began to stop to grow Forastero trees

• cocoa trees shaded by large trees such as mango, inga dulcis, jackfruit, wild ylang-ylang, cinnamon

• uses zebu shit as organic fertiliser

Cocoa

• soft, white fruit flesh of cocoa pods (pulp) is sugar sweet and full of Vitamin C - kids like to eat it as a sweet

• quality of cocoa does not depend on the colour of the pods

• most fruits grow on tree stem, others on branches

• careful harvesting of cocoa pods - the fruit needs to be cut off minimum 0.5mm from the stem to not damage the floral button - a new flower grows out of the floral button - careful cutting to ensure to not destroy the next flower

• first fruits 4-5 years after the tree was planted

• new plants are cherished (aufgezogen) in tree nursery for 6 months, starting in May - planted on plantation in November, sometimes in December in rainy season

• cocoa trees grow in the shade of larger trees

• cocoa tree is evergreen, never looses all leaves

• cocoa trees flower and fruit all year round, best season starts in May (dry season)

• cocoa grows best at an average temperature of 25C/30C

• too much rain ruins the trees (roots rot) and less flowers bloom

• young branches need to be cut off from the stem, they steel energy and the flower can not really develop

• 3 main problems which affect the harvest:

 1) thieves steel pods, sometimes even unripe fruits, in the night
 2) zebus (local cattle) eat fruits and/or rub their bodies against the stem and thereby ruin the flowers and smaller fruits
 3) nocturnal lemurs like to eat the fruits

CRIOLLO

• rare species, grows only in rainy regions (highlands)

• very sensitive and not very fruitful (fertile)

• tender (delicate) flavour - especially suitable for chocolates with a high percentage of cocoa

• a cut Criollo bean is light (white) coloured

• Procelana - best cocoa in the world

• Ocumare - a crossing with Trinitario

• 5%-10% of worldwide produced cocoa

• pod is uneven, looks like herpes

• most of the Criollo pods in Ambanja are red
  
  

FORASTERO

• more resistant (robust) than Criolio

• more bitter flavour - mainly used for milk chocolate, cocoa powder

• 80% of world production

• pod has a rounder form, smooth surface

• ripe pod is yellow

• a cut Forastero bean is violett

• produces more cocoa
  
  

TRINITARIO

• relatively recent crossing of Criollo and Forastero - combines the high quality and resistant of both types (hybrid)

• most common cocoa in Madagascar

• a cut Trinitario bean is dark

• 10% of worldwide produced cocoa

• ripe pod is yellow-orange

Cocoa farming to chocolate

• in the morning harvesting of fruits with a special knife that has a round peak similar to a hook

• the farmer carefully chops of the fruit to not harm the Samenkissen

• opening of the pods with harvest knife - about 50 seeds in each fruit

• separating the beans from the soft, white fruit flesh by hand

• fermentation - thereby the fruit flesh evaporates/vaporises

• quality matter - same size of beans ensures a evenly fermentation

• due to high sugar amount of fruit flesh fermentation immediately begins (a temperature of up to 50C develops)

• very important is the shifting of the beans to add necessary oxygen for the chemical process

• drying of the beans in the sun for 1-2 weeks

• drying makes the beans durable and storeable

• weight of beans reduces to about half or even less throughout the drying process

• moisture content reduces down to 7%

• sun affect the flavour of the beans - one of the most important production steps - beans have to dry equally/steady (should not be too dry outside and still moist inside - danger of mould)

• too fast drying creates unwanted flavours

• after drying selecting of the beans by hand to sort out rotten or damaged beans

• packed in sacks - beans are very sensible and for ideal transport and storing the beans should have a water moisture of 6-8% and humidity should not be over 75% (danger of mould)

• darker, violette dry beans are less fermented - more fruity flavour

• roasting - beans loos more moisture through chemical process which is essential for taste and flavour of the chocolate

• at 105C the cocoa flavour evolves

• grinding - crushing of the beans and separating the shell/peel

• result are cocoa nibs

• once more grinding of cocoa nibs - liquid cocoa mass results

• mixing with other ingredients (such as sugar, milk powder, vanilla)

• conching for softness - oxygen and heat detract/deprive the last moisture from the mass

• at the end of the conching the moisture level is less than 1%

• cooling down of liquid chocolate

• filling moulding forms or store for other use

Chocolate

• in Madagascar chocolate dominate the flavours of red berries and citrus fruits