As the Hawaii Island cacao industry continues to expand, it is time to celebrate with the 11th Annual Big Island Chocolate Festival from Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27. According to Fern Gavelek, the event culminates with the “Mystical Chocolate Masquerade” gala offering everything from sweet to savory.
Participants will be able to enjoy a cornucopia of culinary creations at the Waikoloa Beach Marriot Resort and Spa. There will be music and dance at the gala however the festival is more than fun. Stephanie Beeby, event chairperson, says the main purpose of the festival is to educate the general public, cacao farmers and potential cacao farmers on growing, processing and marketing our local chocolate. Tickets and information to all events can be obtained at info@BigIslandChocolateFestival.com.
We sometimes think of mood enhancing drugs with trepidation but they have been part of the human condition for thousands of years. For example, chocolate is associated with enhancing romance. Many years ago, cocoa and tea were considered commercial crops in Hawaii, along with coffee. They grew well and produced very good quality, but could not compete on the world market. High labor costs and inadaquate marketing were probably the limiting factors.
Even marajuana was grown legally in the past and is again seriously considered as a legal medicinal and recreational drug. As we look at potential profitable crops, there are some to consider that most folks would approve. Hawaiian kava, okolehao and mamake come to mind since they are uniquely associated with Hawaiian culture.
However, as we look at new and interesting ways to garden and farm, we sometimes find a new look at old crops gives us a new perspective. Cacao is one that looks very promising now due to the interest of local farmers, retailers and foodies. They organized to form the Kona Cacao Association and along with many other local organizations are presenting the 2024 Big Island Chocolate Festival. For more information, call Stephanie Beeby at 808 201-2000.
Cocoa, or Theobroma cacao as it is known scientifically, is ornamental as well as useful. What Mother’s Day, or any day for that matter, is complete without chocolate? In Central America and Mexico, cacao was grown for more than 4,000 years and considered the “Food of the gods” by the Mokaya and Olmec people.
Cocoa and tea both grow well on the Big Island. Even though cocoa is thought to be a native to the Amazon area close to the equator, it may have been grown in Mexico for thousands of years.
In places like Borneo, Africa’s Ivory Coast and similar regions where labor is cheap and the climate is ideal, cacao is a major crop. The problem with some production regions is that there are few restrictions on the use of pesticides. Hawaii on the other hand can produce crops free of chemicals and thus promote organicly grown chocolate and ask much higher prices for their crop. There are literally thousands of acres available here where the climate is warm, steamy and wet like in East Hawaii and Kona.
It is also found in many gardens growing well on the island, however cocoa plants do not like drying winds or beach locations.
Tea plants may also be found in Big Island gardens. Most folks believe tea is a crop grown in and confined to equatorial countries. This however is a misconception. Tea grows in a wide range of climates and may be grown in areas extending from equatorial to temperate zones.
For example, it grows in Southern Russia near the Caucasian mountains on the latitude of 40 degrees N, and in Argentina near the latitude 30 degrees S.
It grows well up to 5,000 feet in Kaloko mauka.
Tea belongs to the camellia family. Its correct botanical name is Camellia sinensis, and is closely related to horticultural varieties which bloom magnificently in many home gardens and public parks.
The tea plant is an attractive evergreen shrub native to Assam. There are about a thousand varieties known which differ in flower and shade of green leaves as well as flavor when brewed.
The stimulating drink was originally used medicinally but since the fifth century has been the chief beverage in China. It became popular in Europe in the seventeenth century and was America’s chief beverage until the Boston Tea Party. An alkaloid, like caffeine, and a volatile oil give tea its flavor. Long brewing extracts tannin which is bitter and not considered beneficial.
Locating plants is not easy but once planted and established, maintenance is no trouble. Some nurseries do carry tea and cocoa plants on occasion.
These crops are usually grown where labor costs are low.
In Hawaii, tea and cocoa are worth considering for a more interesting garden as well as boutique crops like Kona coffee. Mamaki tea made from the leaves of Pepturus albidus may also be found on the local market. But okolehao, an alcoholic drink made from the roots of the Hawaiian ti plant, Cordyline fruticosa, is not easy to find however, it has potential. There are many other plant based drinks like soursop tea that have possibilities as well. With creative farming and marketing, the sky is the limit as we have found with Hawaiian chocolate.
Norman Bezona is professor emeritus, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.