Sambirano
Sambirano is an area in the north west of Madagascar especially known for the production of high quality cocoa, also known as the "green gold" of Sambirano. The name also refers to the Sambirano Valley and the Sambirano River that flows from the Tsaratanana Massif into the Ampasindava Bay where it joins with Ramena river, south of Ambanja.
Due to the proximity of the Tsaratanana mountain range and trade winds, a particular micro-climate occurs in the Sambirano region. During the rainy season, the river floods and deposits extremely fertile alluvia along its river banks, providing ideal conditions for many types of crops, especially cocoa.
All three varieties of cocoa grow along the river banks of Sambirano throughout the year, but with two peak seasons: June/July and October/November. The river is divided in two parts, the upper Sambirano (upstream) and the lower Sambirano (downstream).
Malagasy cocoa has special characteristics due to the particular climate and soil along the Sambirano river. The cocoa harvest grown in the region contain about 10% Criollo beans (cocoa grown elsewhere typically contain about 5% Criollo). Cocoa harvested from Sambirano is generally suited for high quality, low bitterness dark chocolate and is used by premium quality Malagasy chocolate brands such as Chocolaterie Robert and Cinagra.