You probably found this while looking for Hawaiian chocolate shops, and maybe even Honolulu chocolate shops in particular. But did you know that Hawaii is the only state in the US which can actually grow chocolate? The chocolate tree is called Theobroma cacao, and these cacao trees grow quite happily in the tropical clime of …

Have you ever thought about where vanilla comes from? The plant, Vanilla planifola, is native to Mexico, but now grows on a vine in tropical locations around the world. The largest growing regions at the moment are in Madagascar and Indonesia.And like the chocolate tree, vanilla comes from a fermented fruit grown from one of …

Have you ever wanted to visit a chocolate farm, and try a fresh chocolate fruit straight off the tree? Of course you have! For those of you not in-the-know, the chocolate tree is called Theobroma cacao, and it grows within 25 degrees of the equator, putting Hawaii right at the edge of its growing region. …

“There’s growing and then there’s making, right, and both are distinct arts. So what is Hawaiian chocolate? Is it only that it’s grown here? What if it’s shipped to Switzerland— does it then become Swiss chocolate because it’s made there?” -Tammie Butterbaugh, Manoa Chocolate Hawai’i has made both their pineapples & their macadamia nuts world …

Paradise. This is most people’s understanding of Hawaii. There are palm trees swaying in the wind, a gentle surf, and pineapples. Sometimes we imagine macadamia nuts and hula dancers, but overall it’s more tropical beach than rain forest. But such images just scratch the surface of Hawaiian potential, and all the many unique things to …

Maddy Smith comes from a family of fabricators. For her entire childhood, her family had this secret chocolate toffee recipe that served as the envy of the neighborhood. For the longest time, this was Maddy’s favorite treat. Years later, her family told her that they’d actually just clipped it out of the local newspaper— that …

Bar: Costa Rica 72% Maker: Manoa (Oahu, Hawai’i, USA) Price: $7.95/49g (Bright River Chocolate) Overall Rating: 8/10 Munch Factor: 3/10 Ingredients: Cacao Nibs, Sugar, Cocoa Butter Appearance: Pre-broken mold surrounding the Manoa logo, and unremarkable dark brown color. Aroma: Rich sweet fudge. Melt & Snap: beautiful melt & nice snap. Flavor: Dark grassiness and then pure cocoa …

Bar: Spiced Coconut Pecan (55%) Maker: Madre (Hawai’i, USA) Price: $10.99/43g (Chocolopolis, Online US Retailer) Overall Rating: 7/10 Munch Factor: 8/10 Ingredients: Organic Dominican Cacao, Organic Sugar, Organic Coconut, Organic Cocoa Butter, Pecans, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Cardamom, Whole Vanilla, Sea Salt Appearance: Light brown with white bits on the back side; the color would have normally had …