Origins / Ghana (West African Amelonado)gh-amelonado
Ghana (West African Amelonado)
Ghana · Ashanti / Western / Western North / Eastern regions
reviewed
Amelonado admixture
The classic bulk cacao of Ghana, historically dominated by the Amelonado population and now grown largely from CRIG hybrid seed, aggregated in large volumes for export under a long-established national grading system.
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Country Ghana Region Ashanti / Western / Western North / Eastern regions Growing region Africa Coordinates 6.40°, -1.80° (approx.) Elevation 100-400 m Producer regional Genetic groups Amelonado, admixture Traditional class Forastero Also known as Tetteh Quarshie Amelonado, West African bulk Bean notes The classic bulk West African population descends from a narrow Amelonado founder stock introduced before 1938; modern plantings increasingly use CRIG-selected Amelonado x Upper-Amazon hybrid seed, so populations now carry a hybrid component. Harvest season main Sep-Jan (light crop May-Aug) Fermentation Smallholder heap fermentation under banana or plantain leaves, typically around 6 days. Drying Sun-dried on raised mats and platforms; Ghana's tightly supervised buying and grading system underpins consistent bulk quality. Flavour straightforward cocoa · earthy · low acidity · mild nuttiness Updated 2026-05-22
Sources Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters) Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) — hybrid seed development and germplasm history Edwin & Masters 2005; Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) sector documentation
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