• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Dame Cacao
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Korea
  • Podcasts
  • Start Here
  • Follow Along

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Korea
    • Podcasts
    • Start Here
  • Follow Along

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • 23+ Unique Cardamom Desserts to Make at Home
    • 39+ Hazelnut Desserts to Make at Home
    • 41+ Delicious Lime Desserts You Can Make at Home
    • 19+ Tantalizing Willy Wonka Desserts
    • halloween themed cookies
      43+ Best Halloween Desserts
    • sukhothai lobby salon chocolate buffet truffles and hot chocolate
      19 Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipes (From Classic to Unique) 
    • 13 Best Hot Cocoa Mix Brands (Beyond Swiss Miss!)
    • sukhothai lobby salon chocolate buffet pouring hot chocolate
      Does Hot Chocolate Help You Sleep? (Why, How & How Much)
    • wooden beer barrel
      17+ Magical Harry Potter Cookie Recipes (Easy to Hard) 
    • melted chocolate in a small bowl on a white background.
      How to Melt Chocolate Chips (3 Easy Ways) 
    • 41 Delicious Chocolate Snacks (to Buy & Recipes)
    • halloween themed cookies
      19 Best Halloween Cookies Recipes (Easy to Hard)
    Home » Interviews & Podcast Show Notes

    Interview: Tomo Zukoshi, Co-Founder of Fijiana Cacao

    Updated: Oct 7, 2023 by Max · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    0 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download

    Subscribe: Email | RSS

    "If somebody wants to buy anything from another country, they have to be more responsible to the end of it... like a marriage, you have to be responsible. Don't look at other places. You stick with it."

    -Tomo Zukoshi, Co-Founder of Fijiana Cacao

    Fiji is the land of beach getaways, incredibly strong traditions, and a whole lot of agriculture. In fact, I'd say that despite doubling in size each year due to tourism, most Fijians don't interact at all with tourists, and continue on their lives in the largely rural nation. This is how Tomo came to learn about cacao in the first place, well over a decade ago, living in the small town of SavuSavu.

    Over the next several years, Tomo & his family built that small interaction into one of the world's first value-added craft chocolate companies. His brands, Adi Chocolate & Fijiana Cacao, are now consumed by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. So in this interview, Tomo & I dig into the founding of his companies, local printing presses, and the marriage between maker & farmer. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

    Note that Fiji & Fijian cacao was the topic of my interview with Tomo, with the end product being the podcast episode on the islands of Fiji.

    A typical rural Fijian landscape.

    Topics We Cover

    • the path Tomo & his wife Harumi took to found Adi Chocolate & Fijiana Cacao in ~2006
    • kava as a traditional drink & medicine
    • typical Fijian taste in chocolate
    • local demand for local chocolate... and future competition?
    • expanding into nearby markets, and locational limits
    • developing packaging that honors the strong Fijian traditions, while also being made completely on the islands
    • Christmas Island sea salt
    • cacao's journey to arrive on Fiji
    • white chocolate controversy
    • the delicate relationship farmers have with chocolate makers

    Connect With Tomo & Fijiana Cacao

    Fijiana Cacao's Website.

    Fijiana Cacao on Instagram.

    Fijiana Cacao on Facebook.

    Connect With Chocolate On The Road

    On Instagram: @chocolateontheroad

    On Facebook: @chocolateontheroad

    Show music is Roadtrip by Phil Reavis, and our transition music is We’re Gonna Be Around by People Like Us & Sweet Dreams by Lobo Loco.

    To listen to the previous episode, click here.

    More Interviews & Podcast Show Notes

    • Craft Chocolate Review Omnom Icelandic Nicaragua Cacao 73% Front of Bar Packaging
      Interview: Kjartan Gíslason, Co-founder of OmNom Chocolate
    • Interview: Julia Choi-Rodriguez & Roger Rodriguez, Cofounders of Vesta Chocolate
    • Craft Chocolate Review Sun Eaters 80% Front of Bar Closeup
      Interview: Gillian Goddard, Activist Chocolate Maker at Sun Eaters Organics
    • Complete Seattle Chocolate Guide indi Chocolate factory mole marshmallow
      Interview: Erin Andrews, Founder of indi Chocolate
    0 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Max! I've been in the chocolate industry for over a decade. I'm passionate about helping you find great chocolate wherever you are, and explore my home of South Korea like a local.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • sukhothai lobby salon chocolate buffet pouring hot chocolate
      Does Hot Chocolate Help You Sleep? (Why, How & How Much)
    • 31 Low-Calorie Chocolate Snacks (100 Calories or Less)
    • How to Make Box Brownies Better: 17 Chocolate Expert Tips
    • 11 Unusual Things to Add to Hot Chocolate (& How Much!)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    ecole chocolat logo certified-chocolate-maker

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Dame Cacao

    0 shares