In the northern part of Madagascar, the Sambirano River flows down from the highlands creating a fertile alluvial plain. Trade winds cross over this little slice of heaven bringing the moisture the cacao trees need for optimum growth. Perfectly acclimated to these unique growing conditions, the trees have been farmed here for decades. The cacao trees were first introduced in Madagascar around 1900 in the Ambanja District throughout the Sambirano River region. Seeing the acclaim Manjari received, in 2002 Valrhona introduced a milky couverture called TANARIVA that would become the first milky Valrhona Grand Cru de Terroir. With an origin of top quality cocoas, the new couverture raised the demand for fine cocoas. This created stronger ties with our legacy partner and fostered the local production of superior cocoas.