Cinagra

Revision as of 10:31, 4 April 2011 by MissMada (talk | contribs)

Revision as of 10:31, 4 April 2011 by MissMada (talk | contribs)

Cinagra is a Madgascar chocolate factory in Antananarivo, producing high quality chocolate made from cocoa grown exclusively in the Ambanja region of North West Madagascar. Cinagra is a so-called single origin cocoa bean-to-bar chocolate maker.

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Cinagra 053.jpgMilk and dark chocolate drops Cinagra 036.jpgWrapped chocolate bars Cinagra 042.jpgGift-wrapped chocolate drops

Since 2006 Cinagra produces fine chocolate in a factory located on the outskirts of Antananarivo, about 15 kilometres from the city centre. 20 employees work in the factory, where its production facilities meet European standards. All processed cocoa beans originate from organic cocoa plantations in the northwest of Madagascar.

Cinagra 019.jpgUnroasted cocoa beans. Cinagra 021.jpg50-minute roasting. Cinagra 025.jpgGrinding processing unit.
Cinagra 070.jpgCrushed cocoa nibs ready to be for conching.
Cinagra 029.jpgThe conching is a 72-hour mixing process of cocoa and other ingredients, such as cocoa butter. Cinagra 033.jpgAfter conching, the chocolate mix is stored at 44°C until further processing. Cinagra 041.jpgThe tempering machine adjusts the mixture to an exact temperature prior to moulding bars or pralines.
Cinagra 037.jpgChocolate moulding machine. Cinagra 040.jpgChocolate bars. Cinagra 046.jpgPackaging.
Cinagra 047.jpgSmall chocolate bars as often sold with coffee orders etc. Cinagra 049.jpgDate expiry marking machine. Cinagra 055.jpgA 44% cocoa and a 72% cocoa chocolate ready for sale.

Cinagra differentiates between superior cocoa beans used for export and standard cocoa beans used for the local market. All cocoa beans undergo a quality check at the factory. Thereafter the cocoa beans are roasted for 50 minutes to bring out the chocolate flavour and colour. After cooling down the beans are cracked, separating the hard outer shell from the cocoa nib. At the same time, the nibs are sorted by size and thereafter crushed in a grinding machine. The crushed nibs are mixed with other ingredients, such as cocoa butter, soya lecithin, sugar, milk powder and vanilla. This chocolate mixture undergoes the process of kneading and agitating in a conching machine for 72 hours non-stop. After finishing the chocolate mixture is stored at 44°C until further processing. Depending on the final type of chocolate, a tempering machine adjusts the chocolate mixture to the necessary temperature (29°C for milk chocolate and 31°C for dark chocolate). The chocolate is now ready to be filled into bar forms or various theme forms. A cooling tunnel chills the chocolate slowly down to 4°C at the end of the process. The individual wrapping of the chocolate is made by hand.

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Cinagra 001.jpgPalissandre (80g). Cinagra 003.jpgTsar Noir (75g) 100%. Cinagra 009.jpgTsar (80g) 63%. Cinagra 005.jpgEben (80g).

Besides the various chocolate bars and cooking chocolate sold in supermarkets and shops throughout the country, Cinagra also supplies confectioneries, such as Chocolaterie Colbert, with so-called industrial chocolate. The dark chocolate bars named Eben and Tsar have between 55% and 100% of cocoa, while their milk chocolate bars such as Palissandre vary between 38% and 44% in cocoa. One of their latest products is Tsar with 72% cocoa, flavoured with cocoa nibs and Fleur de Sel (sea salt). In 2009 Cinagra won the first price at the international chocolate competition Salon du Chocolat de Paris with their dark Tsar chocolate (63% cocoa).

Contact information

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Chocolaterie CINAGRA
II M35GF
Androhibe / Analamahitsy
BP 4101 / Antananarivo 101
Madagascar

Tel: +261 (0)20 22 535 23
Fax: +261 (0)20 22 535 24

Email: contact@cinagra.com

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