Growing Cacao on American Soil
September 12, 2014
Did you know that there is an increasing amount of high quality cacao being grown in the United States?
We know there is a massive amount of chocolate being produced in the US, but until recently, there were no cacao trees being grown on American soil, and all chocolate being made in the US was made from imported cocoa beans. That is slowly changing.
The growing of cacao (cocoa) has generally been limited to a belt 20 degrees north or south of the equator, but for the past 10 years or so, cocoa is now being grown at 21-22 degrees latitude in the Hawaiian Islands.
Cacao In Hawaii
You’ll now find about 100 planted acres of cacao growing on the islands of Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, and lesser amounts on the islands of Maui and Kauai, with the amount of cacao grown in Hawaii increasing by 25 percent per year.
In 2013, there were 30,700 pounds of cocoa beans harvested in Hawaii. Of that, 24,500 was grown on Oahu, 5,600 pounds on the Big Island, 580 pounds on Maui, and 100 pounds on Kauai.
It’s exciting to know that production is on the increase, as demand for Hawaiian cocoa far exceeds the amount of beans currently grown, and my experience has proven that Hawaiian grown cocoa is among the finest in the world.
I had the pleasure of being invited to participate in the 2014 field trip of the Hawaii Chocolate and Cacao Association in February that took me to several of the 16 test sites where cacao is being grown and studied with respect to grafting and fertilization techniques as well as disease control.
Cacao Plantations Face Challenges
We also visited the largest private cocoa estate on the island of Oahu. I’ve seen cacao growing in South America and the Caribbean and learned that each growing region has its own unique challenges when it comes to growing cacao. Hawaii is no exception, where the Chinese rose beetle is the main challenge to growers.
To combat further devastation to cocoa seedlings from the rose beetles, growers wrap the trunk in a heavy plastic to prohibit the beetles from crunching on the seedlings.
As well, they use LED lights to keep the cocoa fields lit during the night. The beetles only come out in the dark, so light is projected onto the young cocoa trees from dusk until dawn, discouraging the damaging insects from eating the young tender leaves of the seedlings. I’m told that grasshoppers are a challenge on Maui.
Not Enough Cocoa to Meet the Demand
At present, chocolate makers and chocolatiers in Hawaii have to partially rely on imported cocoa to make their chocolates as there just isn’t enough cocoa grown on the islands of Hawaii to meet the demand.
And due to higher production costs, the price for cocoa grown on Hawaii is considerably higher than what chocolate companies have to pay for imported beans or couverture. But that is changing, and Waialua Estate (owned by Dole), now has 25 acres of cocoa planted alongside its 200 acres of coffee.
They are making some excellent chocolate from those beans — most notably the Waialua Estate 55% semisweet bar adorned with Hawaiian cocoa nibs.
You’ll find that cacao is often grown on the same property as coffee as they require similar growing conditions. No wonder their flavours are so compatible!
There are quite a number of fine small-batch chocolatiers and chocolate makers in Hawaii that are making excellent chocolate products using local ingredients including Sweet Paradise, Madre, and Manoa. Be sure to search them out the next time you visit the Hawaiian Islands.
Photos (in order top to bottom)
- Cacao seedlings growing on Oahu are wrapped in plastic to protect the seedlings from the Chinese Rose Beetle.
- Melanie Boudar grows cacao and makes chocolate in Maui under the name Sweet Paradise Chocolatier.
- Doreen Pendgracs foraging thru the cocoa beans at Waialua Estate on Oahu.
- Growing Cacao on American Soil - September 12, 2014
Hello,
I realize this post is 6 years old but are you still growing cacao?
Thank you,
Tom
We posted this blog only. We don’t grow the cacao.
I enjoyed writing the post for CU and will be offering more posts in future. Happy to introduce folks to Melanie Boudar (pictured above with the colourful cocoa pods) and other amazing Hawaiian chocolate makers. They’ll be profiled in detail in volume II of my book.