Understanding Cocoa
Africa is the beating heart of global cacao production.
Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon alone account for nearly 70% of the world’s supply.
Yet behind this industrial concentration lies a largely overlooked diversity of terroirs and flavor profiles,full of potential and slowly being rediscovered.
A cacao known for yield, but not only
West Africa has long been associated with commodity cacao: standardized, mass-produced, and bred for robustness rather than aromatic complexity.
The beans often come from hybrid varieties chosen for their resilience and productivity, sometimes at the expense of flavor.
But that image is changing.
More and more farmers, cooperatives, and micro-farms are experimenting with improved post-harvest techniques, precise varietal selection, and more sustainable practices.
Distinct sensory profiles
African cacaos often feature robust, earthy bases, with notes of dried fruits, wood, blond tobacco, or warm spices.
Less tangy than Latin American cacaos and more linear on the palate, they offer intensity and structure, ideal for blending.
Yet certain terroirs,especially in Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon,also yield brighter lots, with hints of yellow fruit or citrus.
A shift toward quality
The revival of African cacao hinges on the recognition of unique terroirs and the refinement of post-harvest processes:
controlled fermentation, slow drying, and manual sorting.
These efforts are giving rise to a new generation of “specialty” African cacaos, stepping beyond industrial standards to offer standalone tasting profiles.
Central and East Africa: the new frontiers
Beyond West Africa, countries like Uganda, Madagascar, and Tanzania are gaining recognition for fine cacao production.
These regions,often volcanic and fertile,yield beans with more nuanced aromas:
red fruits, white flowers, black tea, citrus…
Still relatively unknown, these cacaos are highly appreciated in the bean-to-bar community.
Orfève’s Approach
At Orfève, we work with cacao from Madagascar,grown in agroforestry systems on volcanic soils.
It develops naturally fruity aromas that are unparalleled on the African continent.
We source beans that are carefully fermented and perfectly dried, always from partners who share our values.
In Switzerland, we adapt our roasting profiles to preserve the cacao’s fresh, luminous intensity,the signature of Africa’s finest origins.