Difference between revisions of "Sambirano"

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Sambirano is a valley in north west Madagascar producing cocoa beans famous for various brand of premium quality and organically produced Malagasy chocolate.
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'''Sambirano is an area in the northwest of Madagascar especially known for the production of high quality cacao, also known as the "green gold" of Sambirano. The name refers to the Sambirano Valley as well as the [[Sambirano River]] which runs from the foothills of the [[Tsaratanana Massif]] into the Ampasindava Bay where it joins with the Ramena River, south of [[Ambanja]].'''
  
The name also refers to the Sambirano River which flows from [[Tsaratanana Massif]], the highest peak of the island, and into the Ampasindava Bay, where it joins the Ramena river, south of [[Ambanja]].
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[[File:Sambirano 091.jpg|600px]]
  
<googlemap version="0.9" lat="-13.707701" lon="48.387566" zoom="12" controls="large">
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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 cacao.
-13.710035, 48.387222
 
Sambirano Valley (approximate)
 
</googlemap>
 
  
The Sambirano plain is where the river runs towards the sea, which has highly fertile grounds due to a hot and humid climate, similar to the eastern part of Madgascar, while in general, the west coast of Madagascar is drier.
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{| class="imageTable"
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|-
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|colspan="3" | [[File:Sambirano 101.jpg|600px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Sambirano 102.jpg|196px]]
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|align="center"|[[File:Sambirano 103.jpg|196px]]
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|align="right"|[[File:Sambirano 104.jpg|196px]]
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|}
  
== Further information ==
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All three varieties of cacao grow throughout the year along the river banks of Sambirano, 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). <!-- Harvesting between from ... to ... is done along the upstream part and from ... to ... along the downstream part. -->
  
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{| class="imageTable"
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|-
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|colspan="3" | [[File:Sambirano 086.jpg|600px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Sambirano 016.jpg|196px]]
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|align="center"|[[File:Sambirano 026.jpg|196px]]
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|align="right"|[[File:Sambirano 084.jpg|196px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Ambanja_034.jpg|196px]]
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|align="center"|[[File:Sambirano_001.jpg|196px]]
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|align="right"|[[File:Ambanja_035.jpg|196px]]
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|}
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Malagasy cacao derives its special characteristics from the unique climate and soil along the Sambirano River. The cacao harvest grown in the region can contain up to 10% Criollo beans (cacao grown elsewhere typically contain about 5% Criollo). Cacao harvested from Sambirano is especially suited for high quality, low bitterness dark chocolate and is used by premium quality [[Madagascar Chocolate|Malagasy chocolate]] brands such as [[Chocolaterie Robert]], [[Cinagra]] and [[Chocolaterie Colbert]]. Sambirano cacao is also exported by numerous
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[[chocolate makers using Madagascar cocoa]] in their products.
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<div style="max-width:600px;">
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{{#display_map:
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-13.687854, 48.452454~Sambirano River, where it runs through '''[[Ambanja]]'''~~;
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|type=satellite
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|service=google
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|width=auto
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|height=400
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|zoom=12
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|controls=pan, zoom, type, scale
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|copycoords=yes
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|icon=https://www.madacamp.com/images/madagascar/Green_marker.png
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}}
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</div>
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[[File:Sambirano 033.jpg|600px]]
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== Additional information ==
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* View all [[Sambirano photos]]
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* [[Sambirano Cocoa Tour]] - bike tour through the cocoa region (7 nights)
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* [[Sambirano Trekking Tour]] - trekking tour along the Sambirano River (5 nights)
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* [http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/10/02/excellence-a-winning-formula-for-madagascan-cocoa-production Excellence: A Winning Formula for Madagascan Cocoa Production] - World Bank article, October 2017
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* [[Issouf - a cacao farmer in Sambirano, Madagascar]]
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* [[Bean-to-Bar Chocolate made in Madagascar]]
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* [[Madagascar Chocolate|Madagascar based chocolate producers and brands]]
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* [[Chocolate makers using Madagascar cocoa|Chocolates produced in other countries using cocoa from Madagascar]]
 
* [http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/sambirano-madagascar-dark-chocolate Chocablog.com review of the Malagasy Sambirano bar]
 
* [http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/sambirano-madagascar-dark-chocolate Chocablog.com review of the Malagasy Sambirano bar]
 
* [http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/patric-madagascar-sambirano-valley Chocablog.com review of the Patric Chocolate Sambirano bar]
 
* [http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/patric-madagascar-sambirano-valley Chocablog.com review of the Patric Chocolate Sambirano bar]
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* [http://www.madainfo.de/kakao.htm Cocoa and coffee from Madagascar] In German language
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* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19256838 Madagascar's luxury chocolate thieves strike fear into farmers] BBC article and video, 10th September 2012.
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* [http://iosonoqui.vanityfair.it/category/cacao Sul fronte del cacao] - an article about cocoa theft in Sambirano ("On the Cacao Front") in Italian edition of Vanity Fair, March 2013

Latest revision as of 16:44, 22 December 2020

Sambirano is an area in the northwest of Madagascar especially known for the production of high quality cacao, also known as the "green gold" of Sambirano. The name refers to the Sambirano Valley as well as the Sambirano River which runs from the foothills of the Tsaratanana Massif into the Ampasindava Bay where it joins with the Ramena River, south of Ambanja.

Sambirano 091.jpg

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 cacao.

Sambirano 101.jpg
Sambirano 102.jpg Sambirano 103.jpg Sambirano 104.jpg

All three varieties of cacao grow throughout the year along the river banks of Sambirano, 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).

Sambirano 086.jpg
Sambirano 016.jpg Sambirano 026.jpg Sambirano 084.jpg
Ambanja 034.jpg Sambirano 001.jpg Ambanja 035.jpg

Malagasy cacao derives its special characteristics from the unique climate and soil along the Sambirano River. The cacao harvest grown in the region can contain up to 10% Criollo beans (cacao grown elsewhere typically contain about 5% Criollo). Cacao harvested from Sambirano is especially suited for high quality, low bitterness dark chocolate and is used by premium quality Malagasy chocolate brands such as Chocolaterie Robert, Cinagra and Chocolaterie Colbert. Sambirano cacao is also exported by numerous chocolate makers using Madagascar cocoa in their products.

Loading map...

Sambirano 033.jpg

Additional information