Aloha, Hawaiian Chocolate.
Here's a post from my chocolate blog (www.chocolateallthetime.com/blogspot). Comments?You don't get to see cacao pods in the USA unless you go to Hawaii, and even there they a rare sight. Cacao trees (from whence, of course, chocolate) are cultivated only sporadically around the Hawaiian Islands. But Tony Lydgate of Steel Grass Farm on Kauai hopes to change that. His botanical garden (www.steelgrass.org) specializes in cultivating organic plants that bring value to the islanders and the earth. Cacao, bamboo (the "steel grass" namesake of the farm) and vanilla are the favorites. In these crops, he and his family hope to start a cooperative that puts Kauai on the chocolate-making map and reclaims some of the farmland once owned by pineapple growers and sugar cane companies, all long-departed for cheaper labor in far-off lands. You can take a tour, eat some dark chocolate, learn about the health benefits and see a glimpse of cacao's USA future.Another producer is Malie Kai Chocolates (www.maliekai.com), rejuvenating old sugar fields on Oahu. They offer an exceptionally smooth milk chocolate and mellow bitter-sweet made of pure Hawaiian, single origin cacao. "The natural growing conditons on the islands give cacao potential to be even bigger than Kona coffee," says Nathan Sato, President of Malie Kai Chocolates. And check out the beautiful line drawings by Lynn Soehner (www.lynnsoehner.com) that adorn the packaging! For a stronger, earthier chocolate, try The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (www.originalhawaiianchocolatefactory.com) on the Big Island. The owners (The Coopers) will tell you all about the importance of pure Hawaiian chocolate and how you can start your own crop.But you will have to move to Hawaii! Why no cacao in Florida's orange groves or next to Texas Ruby Reds? Why not nestled in northern California's salad bowl? Chocolate is finicky! Cacao trees only grow and bear fruit in a band 20 degrees north and south of the equator. They like tropical rain, shaded light and warm, moist air. They need forest mulch & midges for pollination; they are susceptible to pests and diseases. Beyond that, however, cacao is a great crop (full of color, literally, and history), and it is easily grown on small farms throughout the tropics. Hawaii is the northern tip of its growing region, so we're lucky to have it and lets hope to see more..
Will wonders never cease! Thanks to ChocolateLife member Sera (posted on Facebook, though), Hawaiin Vintage is back with a vengeance .Note that these puppies are made with 100% pure Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate - whatever that is.PS. If any members in Hawaii can verify (or not) the existence of "100% pure Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate" we would all be grateful.
I stand corrected!
Hawaii is definitely at the northern edge of "the belt". I know someone who can anwer a lot of your questions, and that is Tony Lydgate, owner of STEELGRASS FARM in Kauai (www.steelgrassfarm.com). He has reserached cacao botany, fermentation, hybrids and yeilds as he builds his cacao groves. He works mostly with forestero. You probably know that cacao will actually grow most anywhere....but it only bears fruit in "the belt". This is less about the temperature and more about the absense of the midges who flourish in the humid conditions of the belt. As for fermentation and temperatures, maybe Tony or our new friend Koa Kahili can enlighten us further.
KoaCan you comment on something I wrote above?"Also, I read that one of the challenges in producing good Hawaiin chocolate is attaining proper fermentation. Apparently it is colder at night than is suitable for proper fermentation."Brady
The latest and best in Hawaiian chocolate comes from Kauai, Garden Island Chocolatewww.gardenislandchocolate.com
I've been wanting to hear more about Hawaiian chocolate. For one, I realize it's not a big producer, but whenever "the belt" (the worlds cacao growing region) is mentioned people always claim cacao is grown only 20 degrees from the equator. I've heard and read people only mention a 10 or 15 degree range too. I'm usually irked because it doesn't include Hawaii unless you stretch the belt to 23- 25 degrees. Anyways, I had wondered about Hawaiin Vintage. Interesting info in the previous post. Does anyone know of more companies other than Hawaiin Vintage(?), Original Hawaiin Chocolate Factory and Malie Kai that have produced chocolate from Hawaiis' beans? Also, is Malie Kai the same as the Waialua Estate Singe Origin chocolate that is sold on Chosophere? The packaging looks different and I don't see mention of Malie Kai on the Chocosphere site.Does anybody know anything else about Hawaiin cacao? I believe it is mostly forastero, but when I was there (April 2006) I met Pam and Bob Cooper of the Original Hawaiin Chocolate Factory and if I understood him correctly, Bob mentioned a criollo grown somewhere in Hawaii that they planned on making some chocolate with later that year. I never saw it mentioned on their website so don't know if they ever did that. Also, I read that one of the challenges in producing good Hawaiin chocolate is attaining proper fermentation. Apparently it is colder at night than is suitable for proper fermentation.
Susie:You are right about the pineapple chunks. I've been working with a company to help develop a number of products (organic chocolate covered organic macadamia nuts, coffee beans, cashews, and nibs), and we've also been experimenting with dried banana chunks and dried pineapple. They are the bomb!
That might have been Malie Kai, as Dole owns a lot of their land. They are growing cacao but not yet up to speed on the bean-to-bar front and they supplement some of their product line with Guittard. They told me Dole owns LOTS of land as you can imagine and seems to have some minor interests in cacao. You've inspired me to track that story, since dark single origin covered pineapple chunks could be so great! Thanks!
I had some Hawaiian chocolate earlier this year. I can't remember what it was called, but it seemed to be a subsidiary of Dole as it had a little tiny dole logo on the back of the lable. Any one know what this was? It was okay chocolate. It didn't knock my socks of but it wasn't bad either.
Susie:I certainly hope they can make a go of it this time, too!They have been trying to grow cacao commercially (in fits and starts) for over 150 years. Things are so crazy expensive on the islands that growing pineapple is no longer a commercially viable proposition. But if all of the current generation of Hawaiian growers are committed to the highest quality standards in all aspects of their breeding, growing, post-harvest processing, and chocolate making, then they stand a chance of being able to produce a product that chocolate lovers around the world will be willing to pay for to enjoy.It can't just be a novelty, it has to be better than good.
So THAT'S the story on Hawaiian Vintage! I thought I smelled some mahi-mahi there. Wouldn't it be cool if cacao-growing really took root in Hawaii? Enough with the golf courses, the high-rise hotels and the taro that tastes bad. We want cacao! Both of the growers I spoke to (Tony from Steelgrass & Natan from Malie Kai) spoke of the difficulty of growing on the islands - crazy high real estate prices & cost of living, control of Dole & other large landholders, plus the inherent difficulties in our favorite crop. But I sensed positive momentum.Wish I could join that Hawaii trip in October!! Lucky travellers. I'm saving up for Venezuela...and Belgium...and Brazil....it never ends.
Susie:Very nice post. For those of you interested in learning more about cacao in Hawaii, The Chocolate Lovers Travel Club is in the late stages of planning a trip there in October 2008.Also, you may notice in the Google Ads that appear in the right column a link to Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate. This company has been a scam since very early on in its history.While at one time it might have stayed true to its original mission to create a "new, fourth" breed of cacao, Hawaiian, the company was never able to grow any really significant amounts of it. Although there is no mention of it now, at one point they were making chocolate with primarily Ghanaian beans and adding the little Hawaiian beans they were growing.Now, the company is not even located in Hawaii (they're in Texas, I believe), although there is no information I can find by searching for the company's stock ticker (HWVI). The stock is currently trading at 1/10 cent/share, off it's 52-week high of $0.09/share. Market cap is under $10,000.From the company's current web site:In 1986, Jim Walsh, founder and CEO of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, set out to create the world's first variety/Vintage chocolate. Followingthe model of the California wine industry, Walsh matched the selectedgenetics he had collected to the environment of Hawaii. Various types oftrees were tested for compatibility with Hawaii's environment, of whichonly a few were chosen. These were bred to the ancient ancestors ofcacao to create the fourth distinct variety of cocoa - Hawaiian - the first new variety in 80 years.Today, Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate is a public development company (OTC:HWVI) creating products, brands, and marketing opportunities, utilizing its unique assets. The company is a leading developer and innovator of gourmet varietal and functional chocolate.The international news on Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate has educated an enthusiastic audience that, like wine, chocolate's flavors are a result of its genetics, environment and post-harvest handling. The news has also reveled the exceptional "functional" qualities of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate.[sic] All typos are actually on the company's site.Today, the company is focused on creating "intentional" chocolate products.On the other hand, Original Hawaiian Chocolate is a real place (I've visited) and Bob and Pam Cooper are really very nice people who have really been instrumental in increasing awareness of the Hawaiian cacao industry. We are going to be visiting them on our trip later this year.