Hawai’i has made both their pineapples & their macadamia nuts world famous, despite neither plant being native to the islands. Next up? Theobroma cacao.

Over the last decade, cacao farmers on at least four of the islands have begun pushing towards making Hawaiian cacao & chocolate well-known to a wider audience. Visitors to Maui, Kauai, O’ahu, and the Big Island can now find at least one chocolate tour or experience nearby, and this is in part thanks to one unlikely player: Dole Foods.

In this episode, we talk to 5 Hawaiian chocolate & cacao industry folks about the evolution of the Hawaiian cacao industry, from trees to bars, and all of the many struggles in between. A transformation over a century in the making, the Hawaiian Islands are well on their way to becoming the Napa Valley of Chocolate. You’re just a hop, skip, and a flight away from cocoa bliss.

To read the article version of this episode, click here.

Show notes: https://damecacao.com/chocolate-on-the-road-hawaii/

Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolateontheroad/