Aloha, chocolate: A sneak preview fresh from the field

Published 12:45 pm Tuesday, December 14, 2021

By Staff Reports

A Lydgate volunteer removes seeds from the ripe cacao pods.

Did you know that Hawaii is the only U.S. state with commercial cacao plantations? While there is quite a lot of chocolate produced in the states, most of it is made from imported cocoa beans.

We had to see for ourselves, so we journeyed up to the beautiful island of Kauai, where Lydgate Farms grows high-quality cacao to produce some of the richest and finest craft chocolate. With a fifth generation family growing on the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, the 46-acre Lydgate Farms sits above the town of Kapa’a, between Sleeping Giant and Mt. Wai’ale’ale, and takes advantage of the island’s highly developed soils and fertile growing conditions.

We checked in with our photographer while on assignment for a sneak peek. Scroll for a behind-the-scenes look at how this favorite treat is made, and be sure to check out the Chocolate Issue dropping February 2022.