I’ve been visiting Choco leʻa, a charming chocolate boutique in Mānoa on Oʻahu, since it first opened 10 years ago. Its artisanal chocolates make perfect gifts for my kid’s teachers, my neighbors and, well, myself. I’m there a lot. In its 10th year—a milestone for a small business!—the shop has launched a new hands-on tour […]
Ever wonder how chocolate is made or how a cacao bean turns into a chocolate bar? Touring a cacao farm (or a few) is the perfect place to learn about the beloved treat. Though cacao is a relatively new commercial crop in the state, farmers on Hawai‘i Island are working hard to develop the industry
It’s a sunny Saturday morning in Hilo when my boyfriend and I drive up a rocky road to Lavaloha cacao farm, gazing at the clear, blue sky and empty fields along the way. At the top of the hill, we’re greeted by large palm trees swaying in the wind next to a quaint farmhouse overlooking Hilo Bay. We park the car and
I make a scoop with my hand and pull out sticky, slippery white beans from a ridged, yellow pod. It’s a cloudy Friday afternoon in Kapaʻa in East Kauaʻi. I’m in a small clearing in a cacao orchard on Lydgate Farms. Every month, Will Lydgate, the owner and namesake of Lydgate Farms, hosts cacao-harvesting volunteer
Chocolate just may be the perfect gift—and not just for Valentine’s Day. And if you’re going to buy chocolate in Hawaii, you should find a chocolatier that sources locally. (Yes, we grow cacao trees in the Islands!) Choco lea, a charming chocolate boutique—with a white picket fence!—in lush Manoa Valley, crafts artisanal chocolates using a
