There are a few things grown in Hawaii you won’t find harvested anywhere else in the grand United States: coffee, vanilla, and cacao. So, while you’ll find epic chocolate factories across the country, Hawaii is the only state where your chocolate making tour includes a visit to a local farm. Enter Madre Chocolate: an Oahu chocolate company that is involved in every step of the chocolate-making process – from bean to bar.
Madre’s single-origin dark and flavored chocolate bars come in a variety of flavors - including chipotle allspice, hibiscus, passionfruit, and pink peppercorn.
Lee McCoy/Flickr
These mouthwatering chocolate bars are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth - but they are more than that: Madre Chocolates have won 23 Hawaii, United States, and international awards.
Grant S./Yelp
All chocolates are organic, fair-trade, full of antioxidants - and created right here on Oahu.
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
To see the entire chocolate-making process from beginning to end, consider taking Madre Chocolate’s farm to factory tour.
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
Tours begin at a local and organic farm, where you will see how the beautiful cacao tree produces its pods, and learn about how to tell when the cacao is ripe, taste fresh cacao pulp, help harvest cacao, and witness the fermentation and drying process.
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
Nadine C./Yelp
Then, after an hour long break for lunch, you’ll meet back at Madre’s Kailua location for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chocolate-making process: from roasting, cracking, and winnowing your own cacao to learning how to grind and temper chocolate into bars.
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
You’ll even be able to dip local fruit into rich dark chocolate to eat on the spot.
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
Madre Chocolate offers not only farm tours, but also lessons and chocolate tasting sessions, including a make your own chocolate class, and sessions focused on pairing chocolate with wine and whiskey. How cool is that?
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
Madre Chocolate has two locations on Oahu: 8 North Pauahi Street in Honolulu and 20 Kainehe Street in Kailua. Check out their website for information about their farm to factory tour, the many classes and sessions they offer, and the history of this incredible chocolate.
Lee McCoy/Flickr
Grant S./Yelp
Madre Chocolate/Facebook
Nadine C./Yelp
Need to satisfy your sweet tooth? You’ll love these 9 chocolate shops in Hawaii.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
