Since 1920, these farms produce world-famous aromatic cocoa and today most of the top chefs and chocolate makers around the world use cocoa from this estate. Besides 300 tons of Trinitario cocoa produced every year, a very limited quantity of Criollo beans – 2 tons per year – is harvested separately to make this chocolate. It has a very expressive cocoa aroma with subtle fruity-sweet tartness and pleasant flavour notes that evoke citrus and red berries. AWARDS: This raises the skills, the value and ultimately contributes to raising the wealth at origin, under the Raisetrade concept," he said.​ The key thing for us is we're aiming for fine flavor and it's fresh. We grow the cacao, ferment it and dry it, and then we make it fresh in the factory, within a few days. It’s all done in the same country, like producing cheese or a cider​."

There is no need to add other flavors such as vanilla and more sugar, or chemicals (alkalise), which is a very common solution with the less palatable mainstream bitter cacao commodity​.”

Given the resurgence of cocoa's popularity, more chocolate brands are considering sustainable and ethical best practices. New efforts are under way, such as the Cocoa Accountability Map, Cocoa & Forests Initiative, and the International Accountability Framework . All of these organizations encourage the preservation of lemurs’ forest homes.

The climate, soil, flora of the area, and agroforestry farming practices all contribute to its single-origin habitat – along with post-harvesting fermentation and drying process that are critical to the flavour development. Subsequent roasting, grinding, and conching shapes the fine flavour, aroma and mouthfeel experience of Madagascar chocolate. Suggested use: This delicious sweetener, vitamin and mineral rich, is perfect for baking or to enjoy with your müssli, coffee, tea or with your favorite drinking chocolate. Located in the Sambirano Valley, in the North-West of Madagascar, the plantation produces since 1920 world-famous aromatic cocoa. Besides 300 tons per year of Madagascar Trinitario cocoa, a very limited production of Criollo cocoa (2 tons per year) is harvested separately. This chocolate has a very expressive cocoa aroma with subtle fruity-sweet tartness and pleasant flavour notes that evoke citrus and red berries. Awards: I waited few days and tried the same product again and once more the symthoms appeared to proof I was not wrong.

The reverse of the boxes is a little less exciting, but contains the obligatory ingredients list and nutritional information. The bars are labelled as suitable for vegetarians, and all three carry a warning that these products may contain nuts. It also mentions that all three bars are produced in Germany using single-origin cocoa from the respective sources. This chocolate has a very expressive cocoa aroma with subtle fruity-sweet tartness and pleasant flavor notes that evoke citrus and red berries. We combined it with the finest and rarest pepper, the Voatsiperifery from Madagascar, whose earthy and woody taste is completed by intense flowery aromas bringing freshness to the palate. awards: It's going to start very simply … with companies that have found a good key ingredient paying a fair price and can show that they double the value of that ingredient by making it in the country. That's what I think the base is to start … and I think if we can demonstrate that, Fairtrade can be part of a movement that can actually make such a huge difference for our communities by building on what they already do, then I think it would make a huge difference​.” We grow the finest rare terroir cacao in Madagascar in the north west and east coast of Madagascar. Criollo cacao was introduced to Madagascar in the east of Madagascar in the early 1800's from Reunion Island. This part of Madagascar is susceptible to Cyclone damage and the Cacao is today mainly grown in the Sambirano Valley in the north west. Forastero cacao was introduced to the island in the late 1800's which cross breeds with the Criollo to produce Trinitario cacao's. The unique rainforest, soil and climate environment has allowed the cacao's to speciate and develop their own unique fruity flavour profiles. Hence, we do not need to chemically manipulate and enhance or even add flavours to our dark and milk chocolates (eg vanilla) . When we need to add an emulsifier we only use sunflower lecithin. Overseeing this quality are 23 'preparateurs', supervised foremen who don't just collect the beans, weigh them and pay the planters (as the old 'collecteurs' or middlemen did before, often short-changing the farmers by tampering with the scales) but select them for quality, ferment them and dry them at special treatment units provided by Ramex. 'It's a system I introduced two years ago,' Mamy explains, 'to switch the emphasis to quality rather than weight. Our preparateurs are paid a bonus if they deliver consistently high-quality dried beans - and we've invested a lot of money in this system. We have three technicians on motorcycles, visiting each of the 23 treatment units twice a week.'

For the discerning consumer, the single origin or single estate or single terroir chocolate tasting journey is interesting, offering three-dimensional flavours​,” says Kelsall, “ that lingers on the tongue​.” Although this price premium is positive for cocoa growers, the beans remain a raw material export. The chocolate is then manufactured in Europe or North America, with ingredients (cocoa butter, milk, sugar) sourced elsewhere. Most of the costs are added outside the country of origin; typically, raw ingredients only make up about 3% of a bar’s price. HB Ingredients, the UK’s largest independent chocolate distributor, started distributing Chocolat Madagascar couverture in 2013. The Madagascan products complement their single-origin couverture range, which also includes chocolate from Colombia and Grenada. What makes Madagascar unique is that it produces rare cacao that has aromatic forest fruit and citrus flavors, a wonderful foundation for fine chocolate, said Neil Kelsall, marketing director at Chocolat Madagascar, when we met earlier in the year at ISM/Prosweets 2019. Consumers are more mindful and inquisitive about what they eat ... with the health impacts, environmental, ethical and economic considerations, Kelsall says. Fine chocolate

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We bounce down potholed roads in Madagascar on our way to a cacao plantation, passing women dressed in bright reds and yellows selling fruit and vegetables under grass huts. Small yards are covered in drying and fermenting cacao seeds on their way to becoming chocolate.

Kelsall said that, after his presentation at ISM, Chocolat Madagascar has a number of new European distributors interested in retail. We will call our coffee Arabica Elita,' Spiliopoulos says, 'and we will start a branding system, like appellation controlée for wines, for gourmet coffee grown in this district. To be competitive with the great coffees, we have to limit our production and focus on quality. The maximum we will ever produce in this region is 1,200 tons a year.' Malagasy has shown a strong interest and samples have been tested for quality by CIRAD, a certifying body in Montpellier, France. 'They liked it,' Spiliopoulos enthuses, 'and I believe we have a strong chance of being among the best three coffees in the world.' Madagascar cocoa has been designated a ‘fine flavor’ by the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) and was first introduced to the island from Réunion island by the French in the late 18 th​ century. The first plantations were located on the east coast. They were moved to the north in the 1900s, partly to shelter against the seasonal cyclones blowing off the Indian Ocean, and also to benefit from the region’s unique terroir, responsible for Chocolat Madagascar’s fine, fruity flavor. We walk as quietly as we can in the dark through the plantation, cacao trees sprouting football-shaped red-and-orange pods from their trunks. Madagascar’s premium fruit-flavored heirloom variety of cacao, called criollo, needs shade to tolerate the extreme heat, and companion planting has been practiced a long time for that variety. The new ‘Chef de Cuisine’ selection comprises six of the brand’s most popular chocolates, available in 2kg bags, and includes two of its coveted vegan chocolates. These are:The Cassam Chenai family is originally from the Gujarat province of western India, and we have lived in Madagascar for five generations. Having started by manufacturing postcards, the family moved into the textile trade before exporting spices. As time went by, the family grew larger and some members began to seek their own fortunes. In 2006, I, Shahin – a member of the 4 th generation born on this beautiful island – decided to launch my dream project of producing fine chocolate with one of the most beautiful jewels of our country, the fine cocoa beans of the Sambirano region.