mg-sambirano

Sambirano Valley

Madagascar · Diana Region (Sambirano Valley, around Ambanja)  reviewed

Criolloadmixture

Madagascar's principal cacao region, in the humid Sambirano Valley of the northwest around Ambanja, widely associated with vivid fruit-forward and citric profiles and farmed by some 30,000 smallholders alongside historic estates.

EquatorTropic of CancerTropic of CapricornFar North Queensland — AustraliaIxcacao — San Felipe — BelizeStann Creek — BelizeToledo (Maya Mountain) — BelizeToledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) — BelizeAlto Beni — BoliviaBaures — Itenez wild cacao — BoliviaBaures / Iténez — BoliviaEl Ceibo (Alto Beni) — BoliviaTrópico de Cochabamba — BoliviaWild Bolivian Amazon Cacao (Beni) — BoliviaBahia (Ilhéus) — BrazilBahia cabruca — Cocoa Coast — BrazilLinhares (Espírito Santo) — BrazilMedicilândia (Transamazônica) — BrazilRondônia — BrazilTomé-Açu (Pará) — BrazilTransamazônica — central Pará — BrazilVale do Juruá — Acre native cacao — BrazilBarombi-Kang (IRAD regional trial) — CameroonCameroon (bulk cacao) — CameroonMbangassina (Grand Mbam) — CameroonPHP (Penja) — CameroonSouth-West (Meme) — CameroonAntioquia — ColombiaArauca — ColombiaCaquetá Amazon piedmont — ColombiaCundinamarca — Yacopí / Pacho — ColombiaHuila — ColombiaSantander — ColombiaSierra Nevada de Santa Marta — ColombiaTolima — ColombiaTumaco — ColombiaTalamanca — Costa RicaTalamanca — APPTA — Costa RicaUpala — Costa RicaAbengourou (Indénié-Djuablin) — Côte d'IvoireCAPEDIG (Duékoué) — Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire (bulk cacao) — Côte d'IvoireECAM (Méagui) — Côte d'IvoireSCEB (Agnéby-Tiassa) — Côte d'IvoireSoubré (Nawa) — Côte d'IvoireBaracoa — CubaBaracoa — Jamal central processing — CubaEsco Kivu (Beni-Watalinga) — Democratic Republic of the CongoNorth Kivu / Beni — Democratic Republic of the CongoTshopo (Bengamisa) — Democratic Republic of the CongoBois Cotlette — DominicaCONACADO — Dominican RepublicCOOPROAGRO — Dominican RepublicHato Mayor — Dominican RepublicHispaniola (San Francisco de Macorís) — Dominican RepublicÖko Caribe — Dominican RepublicReserva Zorzal — Dominican RepublicSan Francisco de Macorís — Dominican RepublicYamasá — Dominican RepublicArriba Nacional — EcuadorCamino Verde (Balao) — EcuadorEl Oro — EcuadorEsmeraldas — EcuadorGuayas — EcuadorHacienda Limón — EcuadorLos Ríos — EcuadorManabí — EcuadorNapo (Kallari) — EcuadorNorte de Esmeraldas — APROCANE — EcuadorSucumbíos — EcuadorVinces — EcuadorZamora-Chinchipe — APEOSAE — EcuadorVanua Levu — FijiABOCFA (Suhum) — GhanaGhana (West African Amelonado) — GhanaJuabeso-Bia — GhanaKuapa Kokoo — GhanaOffinso Fine Flavour Cooperative — GhanaSefwi-Wiawso — GhanaYayra Glover (Suhum) — GhanaGrenada — GrenadaGrenada Chocolate Cooperative — Hermitage — GrenadaAlta Verapaz — GuatemalaCahabón — GuatemalaIzabal — GuatemalaLachuá — GuatemalaPolochic Valley — GuatemalaSuchitepéquez — GuatemalaGuinea (bulk cacao) — GuineaAcul-du-Nord — HaitiGrand-Anse — Dame-Marie — HaitiGrand'Anse — HaitiNord (FECCANO) — HaitiAtlántida (Pico Bonito) — HondurasCholoma — APACH — HondurasCopán — HondurasPatuca — Tawahka — HondurasWampusirpi — HondurasEast Godavari — IndiaIdukki — IndiaKarnataka — IndiaKerala — IndiaTamil Nadu — IndiaWest Godavari — IndiaAceh — IndonesiaBali — IndonesiaFlores — IndonesiaHalmahera — IndonesiaJava — IndonesiaLampung — IndonesiaMamuju — IndonesiaPolewali Mandar — IndonesiaRansiki — IndonesiaSulawesi — IndonesiaJamaica — JamaicaMorgan's Valley, Clarendon — JamaicaRichmond, Saint Mary — JamaicaLiberia (bulk cacao) — LiberiaLofa (Voinjama / Foya) — LiberiaNimba (Karnplay) — LiberiaÅkesson's Ambolikapiky — MadagascarAly Robert (Antsatsaka) — MadagascarFOFIFA Ankatafahely (Ambanja) — MadagascarMAVA Plantation (Sambirano) — MadagascarMillot Estate (Bejofo) — MadagascarSambirano Valley — MadagascarT'MAR (Upper Sambirano) — MadagascarSabah (Tawau) — MalaysiaSarawak — MalaysiaComalcalco — Chontalpa — MexicoComalcalco — Hacienda Jesús María (CACEP) — MexicoLos Tuxtlas — MexicoOaxaca (Chinantla) — MexicoSoconusco — MexicoTabasco — MexicoTapachula — Soconusco heirloom cooperatives — MexicoYucatán rejolladas (sacred Maya cacao groves) — MexicoMatagalpa — NicaraguaMining Triangle — Bonanza, Siuna, Rosita — NicaraguaNueva Guinea — NicaraguaRío San Juan — NicaraguaWaslala — NicaraguaCRIN (Ajassor seed garden) — NigeriaCross River (Ikom-Etung-Boki) — NigeriaNigeria (bulk cacao) — NigeriaBocas del Toro — PanamaCOCABO — Bocas del Toro — PanamaComarca Ngäbe-Buglé — PanamaBougainville — Papua New GuineaEast Sepik — Papua New GuineaKarkar Island — Papua New GuineaMadang — Papua New GuineaNew Britain — Papua New GuineaNew Ireland — Papua New GuineaAmazonas (Bagua) — PeruChuncho — PeruHuánuco (Tingo María) — PeruMadre de Dios — PeruMarañón Canyon — PeruOxapampa — Yánesha & Asháninka — PeruPiura Blanco — PeruQuillabamba — Alto Urubamba — PeruSan Martín — PeruSan Martín — ACOPAGRO — PeruSatipo — PeruUcayali — PeruVizcatán del Ene — VRAEM — PeruBatangas — PhilippinesBohol — PhilippinesCebu — PhilippinesDavao — PhilippinesDavao de Oro — PhilippinesDavao Oriental — PhilippinesNegros Occidental — PhilippinesHacienda Chocolat (Fajardo) — Puerto RicoSaint Lucia Island Growers — Saint LuciaSamoa — SamoaCECAB (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipeCECAQ-11 (São Tomé) — São Tomé and PríncipePríncipe (Terreiro Velho) — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Agostinho Neto (Rio do Ouro) — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Bombaim — São Tomé and PríncipeRoça Diogo Vaz — São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé (roça cacao) — São Tomé and PríncipeNgoleagorbu (Kenema-Kailahun, Gola) — Sierra LeoneSierra Leone (bulk cacao) — Sierra LeoneGuadalcanal — Solomon IslandsMakira — Solomon IslandsMalaita — Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands — Solomon IslandsKandy — Sri LankaKurunegala — Sri LankaMatale — Sri LankaRabot Estate (Soufrière) — St. LuciaKokoa Kamili (Kilombero Valley) — TanzaniaKyela (Mababu) — TanzaniaMababu Cooperative — TanzaniaMbeya (Southern Highlands) — TanzaniaTanga (Usambara historical) — TanzaniaChanthaburi — ThailandChiang Mai — ThailandChumphon — ThailandKpalimé-Akébou (Choco Togo / Vision+) — TogoTogo (bulk cacao) — TogoBrasso Seco — Trinidad and TobagoFour Roads Tamana — Trinidad and TobagoHeights of Aripo — Trinidad and TobagoInternational Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad (ICGT) — Centeno — Trinidad and TobagoLopinot — Trinidad and TobagoMarper Farm — Trinidad and TobagoTableland — Trinidad and TobagoTobago (Roxborough) — Trinidad and TobagoTobago Cocoa Estate — Trinidad and TobagoTrinitario Heartland — Trinidad and TobagoBundibugyo / Semuliki — UgandaMukono-Buikwe — UgandaSemuliki Forest (Latitude Trade) — UgandaHawai'i Island — United StatesO'ahu (Waialua) — United StatesAore — VanuatuEpi — VanuatuMalekula — VanuatuCanoabo — VenezuelaCarenero (Barlovento) — VenezuelaCaripito — VenezuelaChoroní — VenezuelaChuao — VenezuelaCuyagua — VenezuelaHacienda San José (Paria) — VenezuelaOcumare de la Costa — VenezuelaPatanemo — VenezuelaPorcelana — VenezuelaRío Caribe — VenezuelaSur del Lago — VenezuelaYaracuy — Güáquira — VenezuelaBà Rịa-Vũng Tàu — VietnamBến Tre — VietnamĐắk Lắk — VietnamĐắk Nông — VietnamĐồng Nai — VietnamLâm Đồng — VietnamTiền Giang — Vietnam
CountryMadagascar
RegionDiana Region (Sambirano Valley, around Ambanja)
Growing regionAfrica
Coordinates-13.68°, 48.45° (approx.)
Elevation0-200 m
Producerregional
Genetic groupsCriollo, admixture
Traditional classTrinitario
Also known asAmbanja cacao
Bean notesMixed populations along the Sambirano River with a genuine Criollo component; genetic studies confirm Madagascar retains rare Criollo-derived material, traced to introductions in the early 1800s.
Harvest seasonmain May-Aug; smaller crop Nov-Jan
FermentationEstate and cooperative box fermentation, typically 5-7 days, often in tiered wooden-box systems.
DryingSun-dried on raised racks and platforms, sometimes briefly flash-dried on concrete first.
Flavourbright red fruit · citrus · tangy acidity · berry
Certificationsorganic
Updated2026-05-22

Sources

  • Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)
  • Fouet et al. 2021, 'Traditional varieties of cacao in Madagascar: their origin and dispersal revealed by SNP markers', Beverage Plant Research
  • CIRAD / Agritrop — Sambirano cacao fermentation studies

Related origins

Asia & Pacific au-far-north-queensland Far North Queensland Australia · Far North Queensland (Mossman / Daintree / Mission Beach) admixture fruity · nutty · caramel · mild Americas bz-ixcacao-san-felipe Ixcacao — San Felipe Belize · San Felipe village, Toledo District (southern Belize) Criolloadmixture honey · caramel · nutty · spice Americas bz-stann-creek Stann Creek Belize · Stann Creek District admixture cocoa · nutty · mild fruit · balanced Americas bz-toledo-maya-mountain Toledo (Maya Mountain) Belize · Toledo District Criolloadmixture bright fruit · raisin · nutty · balanced Americas bz-tcga-toledo Toledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) Belize · Toledo and South Stann Creek districts (southern Belize) CriolloAmelonadoadmixture raisin · honey · spice · tropical fruit Americas bo-alto-beni Alto Beni Bolivia · La Paz Department (Alto Beni) admixture fruity · nutty · honey · balanced
Trust receipt — dc4bc2aafb0694c7 — reviewed
Record SHA-256
dc4bc2aafb0694c7Full hash — dc4bc2aafb0694c71dd8b3dac95f6dbec9a14b281e63f9263540e06d507627cc
OpenTimestamps proof
mg-sambirano.json.ots(verify with ots verify)
Internet Archive snapshot
(snapshot pending)
First indexed
(not recorded)
Last revised
2026-05-22
Status
reviewed
Cited sources
3

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