From our factory on the slopes of Hualalai Mountain's bountiful Kona region on the Island of Hawaii comes the one and only Original Hawaiian Chocolate. We are the first to grow hand-pick, sun-dry and process only 100% Hawaiian grown cocoa beans, non-blended to assure purity and quality.
What is Hawaiian chocolate made of?
From our factory on the slopes of Hualalai Mountain's bountiful Kona region on the Island of Hawaii comes the one and only Original Hawaiian Chocolate. We are the first to grow hand-pick, sun-dry and process only 100% Hawaiian grown cocoa beans, non-blended to assure purity and quality.
What does Hawaiian chocolate taste like?
Waialua Estate's Hawaiian cacao is grown along the banks of the Kaukonahua stream in rich, fertile and sweet soil that provides an exceptional “terroir.” Not only will you taste bright banana and pineapple notes, you will then move into flavors of dark cherry, berry and raisins.
Do they make chocolate in Hawaii?
Hawaii is the only U
state whose climate is suitable for growing cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate. Yet, more than 180 years since the plant was first documented here, the Islands' bean-to-bar chocolate industry is still in its infancy.
Is Hawaii famous for chocolate?
Well over 150 years later, artisan chocolate made from Hawaii-grown cacao has caught the attention of gourmands around the globe. Dole Food Company's 80-acre cacao farm on Oahu's north shore is the largest in the state.
What is Hawaiian cacao?
Hawaii cacao is the rarest cacao origin in the world. Only cacao beans grown in the state of Hawaii (or nibs made from this cacao) can legally be labeled "Hawaii cacao" on packages and in ingredient lists. Hawaii cacao may also be labeled according to the island on which it was grown.
Do cocoa trees grow in Hawaii?
You'll now find about 100 planted acres of cacao growing on the islands of Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, and lesser amounts on the islands of Maui and Kauai, with the amount of cacao grown in Hawaii increasing by 25% each year.
Can cocoa grow in Hawaii?
But amazingly, cacao is currently being grown on all of the Hawaiian islands! This makes Hawaii the only place in North America where cacao can be farmed. The islands have many different micro-climates – on the Big Island you can even ski at the top of Mauna Kea and go to the beach in the same day!
How did cacao get to Hawaii?
Cacao first came to Hawaii via Guatemala in the 1830s, according to the Hawaii Chocolate Association. The trees grew in David Kalakaua's gardens. In the 1850s, German physician and botanist William Hillebrand planted cacao in what is now Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu.
What is the only US state that can easily grow cacao beans?
Hawaii is the only state that can sustain commercial cacao production.
What candy is Hawaii known for?
One of the most popular candies on our beautiful tropical island is Li Hing Mui candy. Li Hing Mui candies are dried fruit gummy candies that range from sweet to salty and have even been described as tangy.
What is Brownie in Hawaiian?
ʻŌlelo of the Day — Hawaiian Word of the Day: Palauni ( Brownie ) Hō
.
Where can you grow cacao?
Even though chocolate is largely manufactured in Europe and North America, cacao is largely grown in Africa and Central & South America. Cacao can be grown in humid climates within 25 degrees of the equator, so it doesn't grow in Europe at all, with the exception of Spain's Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa.
Can I grow a cocoa tree in my house?
It's only about 6 feet tall, but producing well. In nature, cacao trees are a zone 10 plant, so they want to be kept warm, but they will grow just fine at room temperature in a normal house. Keeping them consistently between 65 and 70 degrees is sufficient for them to thrive.
Are cocoa trees illegal?
The Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans, providing more than one-third of the world's supply. Cocoa is, of course, the main ingredient in chocolate. Growing cocoa is not illegal, but growing it in a national forest reserve is.
Can you grow cocoa trees in the United States?
Growing cacao trees requires mimicking these conditions. In the United States, that means the tree can only be grown in USDA zones 11-13 – Hawaii, parts of southern Florida, and southern California as well as tropical Puerto Rico.
Does Coke and chocolate come from the same plant?
Coca refers to four plants native to South America that are used to make cocaine. These plants are different from the cacao plant used to make cocoa. Interestingly, the soft drink Coca-Cola contained coca products until the early 20th century. Today, though, cocaine is illegal almost everywhere.
How long does it take for a cocoa tree to bear fruit?
Three to five years
How many years does cocoa take to grow?
Cocoa trees are only likely to flower when they're four to six years old and about five feet tall, and during this time they need to be grown in optimal conditions. After this, it then takes five to six months for the cacao pods to ripen from the pollinated flowers.
Why are cocoa farmers poor?
Too little land, too few alternatives. An important underlying cause of poverty is that many cocoa farmers simply do not have enough land to produce enough cocoa beans to have a decent income. As a result, they are also unable to invest sufficiently in better farming methods.
How much money does a cocoa farmer make?
According to Fairtrade, the average cocoa farming household in the Ivory Coast is made up of eight people and has an annual income of around $3,000. But Fairtrade's research concluded the average cocoa farming household should be earning about $7,500 a year to cover their full cost of living.
How many cocoa beans does one tree produce?
On average: • Each tree will yield 20 to 30 pods per year. Each pod contains 20 to 40 beans. Approximately 400 beans are required to make one pound of chocolate.
Where is 70% of the world's chocolate grown?
70% of the world's cocoa beans come from four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. The Ivory Coast and Ghana are by far the two largest producers of cocoa: together they cultivate more than half of the world´s cocoa.
What is the difference between cacao and cocoa?
Cacao is the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa. Both can benefit your health, but it's best to stick to either the raw version, cacao, or a chocolate product that has a high chocolate liquor content. Raw cacao can take some getting used to. It tastes a little different than cocoa products and can be slightly bitter.
How long does a cacao tree live?
IN ITS PRIME. A young cacao tree grows rapidly, but it won't begin to produce beans until it's about five years old. A cacao tree can live up to 100 years, but most trees only provide marketable cacao beans for about 25 years.
What animal eats cacao?
The football-shaped fruits, or cacao pods, grow along the tree trunk and branches and turn bright colors when ripe. Inside are the cacao seeds-the source of chocolate. Monkeys, bats, and squirrels eat the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds, which are then spit out as the animals travel through the rainforest.
