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 […]
This is part of our “Shop With Aloha” series. It’s been about two months since Mānoa Chocolate temporarily closed its retail space in Kailua on Oʻahu due to the spread of COVID-19 in the Islands. The artisan chocolate maker, which specializes in bean-to-bar chocolate using locally grown (when possible) and ethically sourced cacao, had been giving
No one ever needs a reason to enjoy chocolate. But Maui Kuʻia Estate Chocolate, which will open its doors to the public in Lahaina next month, is a must-try when visiting Maui. Kapalua resident and former biotech scientist Gunars Valkirs started the company in 2013 with new cacao trees on 20 acres of former sugarcane
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
