Original Hawaiian Chocolate Farm Visit
Original Hawaiian Chocolate Farm Visit
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What makes for a better addition to a vacation than chocolate? After all, calories on vacation don’t count, right?
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Chocolate Grows on Trees
Once your kids learn that chocolate actually does (sort of anyway) grow on trees will they be comparing it to a vegetable? Won’t that be an interesting conversation!
Well, chocolate really does sort of grown on trees. The main ingredient of chocolate – the part that gives chocolate the ‘chocolatey’ taste comes from the cocoa pod. Â Cocoa pods grow on trees! Aren’t they pretty?
It is interesting that the pods grow on the trunks and branches of trees. They seem to just be stuck there! Look at the size of the leaves!
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Where are the cocoa beans?
Cocoa pods are opened and inside you’ll find the cocoa beans! But, they don’t look like cocoa beans just yet. In fact, they look they like they are covered with a slimy white paste. While it sounds less than palatable, the geckos sure seem to like it!
These cute geckos hurried over when the pods were opened. They knew exactly what treat awaited them! Geckos love it but the beans don’t taste like chocolate just yet.
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – How do they turn brown?
The beans, about 50 inside each pod, are laid to dry in the sun. They shrink and turn brown and suddenly – they look a lot more familiar!
The drying process is also when the fermenting takes place. Grown ups know that the fermentation process is also what takes grapes and turns them into wine! Fermentation = good stuff!!
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Time to roast!
Roasting is a really important part of the process. Some might think it is the most important part.
Inside the bean is water and when you heat water you get…steam! The steam pops open the hard husk which has to be blown away. Sometimes a little of this hard husk gets mixed into the final product, but as little as possible.
The little pieces that break apart during the winnowing process are called nibs.
New word of the day – “To Winnow” – to blow a current of air through to remove chaff
New second word of the day – “Chaff” – worthless things
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Chocolate nibs
The chocolate nibs, and usually a few bits of husk, too, get ground. The fat melts which makes the ground creation a liquid.
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – What gets added to the chocolate nib mixture?
Each chocolate manufacturer has a recipe for making chocolate. The additions include sugar, milk, lecithin and vanilla.
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Creating shapes
The final chocolate liquid is poured into mold and cooled. The delicious final product is popped out and eaten!
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – The best part – eating!
The Original Hawaiian Chocolate company has three recipes for chocolate and you get to taste each of them as a part of the tour. I love that these samples are shaped like the plumeria flower so common to Hawaii.
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Send some home!
The Original Hawaiian Chocolate company ships their chocolate all over the world. They are picky about when though. They want your chocolate to arrive in perfect condition so they won’t ship if it is too hot at your location. Discuss shipping dates when you shop!
Original Hawaiian Chocolate – Reserve your spot.
The tours are not given every day. Go online before your trip to reserve your spot for this family friendly and very tasty farm tour! I was given a free ticket to experience this cool and tasty tour in exchange for a post.
If you are heading to the BIG island of Hawaii, you’ll be interested in my review of the Waikaloa Village Resort and learn about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Happy chocolatey travels!
Natalie, The Educational Tourist
Wait, chocolate is NOT a vegetable?! 😛 This is awesome — my family is from Hawaii (Oahu though) but I’ve never done anything like this there. Next time I’m exploring other islands I’ll be sure to check it out. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t know…it DOES grow on a tree so in my book it technically qualifies. 😉 Actually with a seed inside, doesn’t that make it a fruit? In any event, I’m sure we all agree it is a REALLY important food group, right?
I had NO IDEA chocolate pod thingys grew on trees. What a cool experience. Definitely a great family activity.
It is weird that they are just stuck on the tree without a stem of some sort! I was surprised at how colorful they were! So chocolate is delicious AND pretty to grow!!
This reminds me of when I went on a coffee tour in panama. It’s so crazy when you realize how some of the things we consume are actually made. I learned a lot from this post! Now, i want chocolate!
I hear coffee tours can be really interesting, too. The weirdest I’ve heard of was a cat poop coffee? EEEK! LOL! I’m not into coffee THAT much. 🙂
My dad is a chocolateer by hobby and he sometimes sources his chocolate from Hawaii! As you said, its extremely high quality and generally very sustainably sourced. Thank you for the info 🙂
Really? What an incredibly interesting hobby. Lucky you!! I bet you get to taste all the results.
I have never done a chocolate farm tour, but it sounds like my kind of thing. I have seen the Cocoa pods and tried it, when I was in indonesia, it was awful!! I would love to try the finished product, though being from the UK I am used to chocolate tasting a certain way, so it would be interesting to see if I liked it 🙂
LOL! Nothing like the finished product. 😉
That white gunk tastes amazing. That gecko really knows what he is doing! Sounds like a very interesting trip. Thank you for sharing.
It looks pretty gross, though, doesn’t it? LOL! I wonder who was the brave soul to try it out for the first time!
I almost did this when I was last in Hawaii but got lost somewhere between a cocktails and lounging by the pool. I’m sorry I missed it now. I’ll be sure and visit next time.
LOL! That is sure easy to do! Now it is a great reason to go back. 🙂