Madagascar Chocolate
Madagascar is not widely known for making chocolate, at least not like the chocolate nations of Switzerland and Belgium. But as most chocolate experts would likely agree, Madagascar is a high quality cocoa producing nation boasting two major bean-to-bar chocolate factories, making especially dark and delicious chocolates from naturally organic cocoa grown in the northwest Ambanja region of the country.
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Madagascar has in fact a long history of chocolate production, dating back to the early years of the French colonial times, 1937 to be precise. In those days, Madagascar was a major cocoa exporter in supplying a metropolitan France. Today Madagascar's cocoa production is tiny in comparison to for example the Ivory Coast, which produces about 38% of the world's cocoa, while almost all cocoa grown in Madagascar come from an area about 50-kilometre in radius and represents less than 1% of the world's cocoa production. The cocoa plantations can be found within the Ambanja district in Sambirano, an area named after a river which runs through the countryside from the foothills of Madagascar's highest peak into the Indian Ocean. The soil by the Sambirano riverbed and its surrounding cocoa plantations is highly enriched with mineral and nutrients due to sesonal flooding of the river. Unlike cocoa producing regions in most other countries, the Sambirano area is unique in that it yields cocoa all year round. There are plenty of Criollo (the best cocoa), Forastero (the most common variety) and Trinitario (a cross between Criollo and Forastero).
Most if not all cocoa plantations in Madagascar are small independently run family farming businesses, who have been growing cocoa without use of fertilisers and other mass farming methods in a very natural environment for generations. And while slave labour is commonly reported in the cocoa industry, especially in the Ivory Coast, it's not existing in Madagascar. Much of Sambirano's cocoa trees stand on former fruit plantations dating back to the French colonial period. The resulting cocoa has strong hints of citrus fruit and is naturally sweet, which makes the crop especially suitable for producing non-bitter dark chocolates without use of excessive sugar content or other additives. Furthermore, the final Madagascar chocolate product is usually rich in antioxidant flavoinoids and other healthy and reputedly aphrodisiac ingredients found in high proportions in pure Malagasy cocoa.
Chocolaterie Robert and Cinagra are the only two bean-to-bar chocolate producers in Madagascar. Their chocolate is of single Malagasy origin, meaning they grow their own cocoa as well as make their chocolates in Madagascar.
Chocolaterie Robert dates back to 1937, when a French couple, Mr and Mrs Robert, set up Madagascar's first chocolate factory in Brickaville. Today, Chocolaterie Robert's bars can be found everywhere from small village shops to upmarket confectionery stores in metropolitan areas. In 2006 Chocolaterie Robert's Mora Mora and Sambirano brands respectively won the Chocolate Academy's Silver Cup and the Best Buy Ethical Award.
The more recently established Cinagra company, has been making chocolate at their Antananarivo based factory since 2006, also using single origin cocoa grown on plantations within the Sambirano region. In 2009 their 63% cocoa based Tsar bar won first price at the Salon de Chocolat Paris in France and since 2008, Cinagra have been producing chocolate on behalf of a Madécasse - US importer and brand exported and sold primarily in the US and Canada.
A third, small but nonetheless appreciated Madagascar chocolate brand is Chocolaterie Colbert. Although they do not buy pre-processed cocoa directly from farmers in Ambanja and can therefore not be classified a bean-to-bar producer, their recipes are their own and since they do buy their processed cocoa 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 is sold only at Pâtisserie Colbert in Antananarivo, part of Hotel Colbert. Their bars and pralines, handmade and gift-wrapped by a small team of talented chocolatiers and always sold fresh at the counter, make ideal presents for special occasions.
Madagascar is not an industrialised nation by any measure, including it's farming methods and Malagasy cocoa therefore remains relatively short in supply. Perhaps it explains why Malagasy chocolates are not easily found in stores outside Madagascar. A tip for anyone visiting the large island: Buy and bring as much as you can back with you home of Robert's, Cinagra's and Colbert's bars and pralines, because you will not likely find as high quality chocolate at any similar prices anywhere else in the world!
For those who cannot buy chocolate in Madagasar, there are various brands sold and produced in factories outside Madagascar using Malagasy exported cocoa:
- Patric Chocolate
- Amano Artisan Chocolate
- Coppeneur Chocolate
- Madécasse - produced in Madagascar by Cinagra and exported to the US and Canada.
- Lindt Excellence Madagascar range.
- VAO VAO Produced in Madagascar by Chocolaterie Robert and exported to the US.
- Sambirano by Rougue Chocolatier.
- Madagaskar - a 46% cocoa chocolate by J.D. Gross, sold only in German supermarket Lidl.
- Madanga by Rausch Schokolade.
- Pierre Hermé Paris 75% Madagascar cocoa chocolate.
- Thorntons 32% Madagascar cocoa bar.
- Pralus 75% Madagascar cocoa bar sold mainly in France.