If you like chocolate (proper, artisan chocolate that is), this could well be the best day in your life. Hawaii is the only US state where cacao trees grow. The state produces some of the world’s best quality beans in the moisture-rich environment. And chocolate made on Kauai from these locally-grown beans is, in our opinion, some of the best in the world.
Today, there are over a dozen varieties of cacao grown on the island of Kauai. The local farms, factories and stores use these beans to produce some amazing artisan, often organic, quality chocolate. There are a number of tours, workshops and lessons available to visitors so they can try Kauai chocolate for themselves. And the result is an experience like none other. As they say on the island, a day without chocolate is like Hanalei without a sunset.
But be warned, once you’ve tried how chocolate should be, you’ll never want to eat mass-produced, low-grade chocolate ever again!
Picking chocolate pods and Garden Island Chocolate
Where to head for the ultimate chocolate experience?
For those in the north of the island, head to Garden Island Chocolate at 9:30 a.m. The Kauai chocolate tour and tasting is a three-hour guided educational adventure. You’ll learn all about the cacao tree and see how chocolate is made from the cacao fruit (cacao pods).
During the tour, you’ll find out about permaculture, sustainable farming, and exotic fruits. And, best of all, get to taste some fantastic gourmet chocolate at the end. This is an extensive, all-you-can-eat tasting experience with over 20 types of chocolate. All Hawaiian grown and made. Garden Island Chocolate keeps the percentage of cacao high, so if you love dark chocolate, you’re really going to enjoy this. The cost of the tour is $75 for adults and $29 for children (infants are free).
Tip: Try the hot chocolate during your visit. It’s made in the traditional Latin American style with fresh ground chocolate liquor, pure vanilla and all-spice, coconut meat and milk and local honey.
For those staying in the south and east of Kauai, head out to Lydgate Farms for their “branch-to-bar” Kauai chocolate tour and tasting. This was the first tour of its kind on Kauai, and it didn’t disappoint.
The tour begins with a stroll through the Farms’ botanical gardens. Here you’ll learn about the Theobroma Cacao (the chocolate tree) and taste its ripe fruit. You’ll then move on to enjoy a taste of their award-winning honey, vanilla beans and seasonal tropical fruits that you’ve never even heard of before. Interestingly, Lydgate Farms cacao beans have been recognized to be among the best in the world at the Cocoa of Excellence Awards in Paris in 2017.
The tour ends, of course, with a chocolate tasting and a lesson in the fine art of being a chocolate connoisseur. The tour lasts three hours and is $95 per person, with kids 12 and under free. This is a popular tour, so advanced reservations are required.
Tip: If you can’t make the tour but want to taste the chocolate, the farm gift shop is open weekday mornings. You can purchase Lydgate Farms chocolate, vanilla, honey, and other delicious products straight from the source. There are free samples and you can chat with a friendly guide who will answer your questions.
Take a chocolate lesson
If you’re more interested in chocolate-making, then a visit to Wild Kauai Chocolate should be on your schedule. They offer chocolate-making experiences for individuals and groups, sharing the love and super-food benefits of craft dark chocolate. Their exquisite craft dark chocolate is made in its simplest and purest form with only two all-natural, organic ingredients – cacao beans and organic cane sugar.
They also offer free chocolate tastings during their shop hours (12pm – 3pm Tuesday through Friday).
Tip: Try their Build A Bar class (Tuesday thru Friday from 9.30am to 11.15am and 3pm to 4.30pm on Thursdays). During the class you can customize your dark chocolate bar with your own favorite flavors.
Bring home a Kauai chocolate gift
Want to take some chocolate home as a gift? Then head to Chocolat Hanalei in the Ching Young Shopping Center. Open from 12-6 Tuesday through Sunday, this husband and wife team produce their own chocolate on their nearby farm in the Wainiha Valley. They have over 350 cacao trees with lots of additional fruit and spice trees which they use in their confections. Rich, luscious Hawaiian chocolate surrounds energizing ginger, tangy lilikoi, crunchy macadamia nuts, zesty Tahitian lime, spicy cardamom and rich vanilla beans. The confections are as unforgettable as the Garden Island itself.
Tip: Our recommendation is to order a combo box and add some folded fish and turtles for the little ones. They also make vegan chocolate which is popular.
Kauai Chocolate and Coffee Festival
So important to the island of Kauai is the chocolate and coffee crop that there is now an annual festival to celebrate. The 5th annual Kauai Chocolate & Coffee Festival will take place from Friday, October 18, 2019, at 5 pm through Saturday, October 19, 2019, at 4 pm. It’s a celebration of all things chocolate and coffee. There will be lots of sampling, educational displays and workshops, entertainment, and exhibitor booths featuring a variety of chocolate and coffee products.
The festival takes place in Historic Hanapepe Town and includes informative presentations, live entertainment, a silent auction, keiki activities, and much more.
The mission of the Kaua`i Chocolate & Coffee Festival is to showcase the fine products and talents of our local farmers, chefs, roasters, chocolatiers, baristas and manufacturers. The festival will feature chocolate and coffee from Kauai and around the Hawaiian Islands.
WHEN: Friday, October 18, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. & Saturday, October 19, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
WHERE: Hanapepe Road, in Historic Hanapepe Town on the Island of Kaua`i, Hawai`i
TICKETS: Tickets will be available in advance online for $15 or $20 at the door while supplies last. They can also be purchased during the week prior to the event at Aloha Spice Company, Banana Patch Studio, Japanese Grandma’s Cafe, or Angela Headley Island Art for $20.
Guests at Ali’i Kai Resort should contact the reception team to book their tickets for these experiences in advance.
