Chocolate In Paradise
A Look at Our Visit to the Waialua Estate Cacao Plantation

When you work with chocolate, there is nothing more delightful than the chance to travel to the source of where all that chocolate comes from. Rick, Stanton and I had that opportunity in April when we were invited to visit Dole’s Waialua Estate Cacao Plantation for their annual spring harvest.

We felt truly honored when the Dole’s Waialua Coffee & Cacao Company chose us to carry what we consider to be the “Best Chocolate Made in the United States”, the single origin Waialua Estate 70% Dark Chocolate. There must be something magical in Oahu’s famous North Shore lifestyle that makes the chocolate so good. It certainly helps that it grows in Hawaii’s rich volcanic soil and perfect tropical climate.

Mike Conway, Dole’s Waialua Plantation manager, gave us a tour and sat down to talk with us. He told us stories of how when they were just starting to plant the cacao crops, he contacted some of the world’s oldest, venerated cacao plantations. They just sent us some of their most coveted and rarest cacao beans to cultivate on the Waialua plantation, he told us, because they basically thought it was a crazy experiment and would never work. Now some of the best Criollo, Trinitario, and Forastero beans are grown on the plantation. We had a real treat when he let us help out harvesting the beans (see pictures below).

Of course, we couldn't end our visit without putting this prized chocolate to good use, so Chef Stanton set up a demonstration at the test kitchen of the Dole Visitor Center where he arranged a very special chocolate taste testing using the Waialua chocolate.

We want to thank the people at Dole’s Waialua Cacao Plantation for being such gracious hosts. Chocolates a la Carte is proud to carry Waialua Estate Chocolates in our product line. Please click on this link to learn more about this line of products. Below is a slide show with more pictures from our visit to the plantation.