Why Hawaiian Chocolate Is Some of the Rarest in the Country

Why Hawaiian Chocolate Is Some of the Rarest in the Country
Volunteers process hand-harvested cacao pods at Lydgate Farms in Kapaa, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. (Courtesy of Lydgate Farms)
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“Now, don’t just gobble it down all at once.”

When Will Lydgate is introducing people to his Kauai chocolate, he suggests they melt it in their mouths first, to allow the flavor of the estate-grown cacao to reach full impact on their palates. Invariably, Lydgate Farms visitors exclaim over the light, mellow taste and the lack of bitterness and astringency that often puts Americans off dark chocolate. “Never knew it could taste as good as this,” they report.

Eric Lucas
Eric Lucas
Author
Eric Lucas is a retired associate editor at Alaska Beyond Magazine and lives on a small farm on a remote island north of Seattle, where he grows organic hay, beans, apples, and squash.
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