Chocolate farms a sweet spot on any Hawaii itinerary

You don't have to be a trick-or-treater to indulge your sweet tooth in Hawai'i. Although the sugar industry continues to shrink, cacao — the source of chocolate — is on the rise as a cash crop, inspiring high-minded sustainable farmers as well as high-end chocolatiers across the islands. And while the prices for Hawai'i-grown "artisanal, single-origin" chocolate, as the gourmet crowd calls it, may keep it out of the Halloween bowl, year-round farm tours and tastings can be the sweet spot on any traveler's itinerary.

BIG ISLAND

Cool beans: High above Keauhou, the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory was on a recent Aloha Friday list of green souvenir sources, but it's justly famous as a pioneer in island chocolate. Although the first cacao trees were planted on O'ahu back in 1850, North Carolina transplants Bob and Pam Cooper (no relation to this author) created a cottage industry in 1997 when they began producing chocolate from cocoa beans harvested on their 6-acre cacao tree orchard.

These days they also buy other Big Island farmers' cocoa beans, but their modest-looking operation is still the only place in the state of Hawai'i where you can see the entire chocolate process from cacao tree to confectionery; the first half, from tree to roasted nib, is surprisingly similar to coffee production. Call (808) 323-2626 for an appointment for a free morning tour. Like labor-intensive Kona coffee, the single-origin stuff doesn't come cheap — around $10 for a 3-ounce bar (also available online.)

Down the road, Bay Area expats Greg Colden and Marty Corrigan have transformed a rocky site near an old quarry into a sustainably managed cacao, coffee and fruit orchard, called Kokoleka Lani Farms, which also offers tours by appointment (call 808-322-9111). The roasted cocao beans that Kokoleka Lani sells on site or online (4-ounce bag, $6.50) can be ground for culinary use or crunched as is — a sample revealed a dark, earthy flavor similar to that of chocolate-covered espresso beans, without the sweetness. Cacao also serves as an exfoliant in the partners' Kona Natural Soap Company line, in combination with ingredients such as sweet orange, litsea, lavender, coffee, lemon or cinnamon leaf ($5 a bar).

Candy land: In a less scenic area of Kailua-Kona — between the Home Depot and Costco — Kailua Candy Company is a popular stop mostly for non-Hawaiian chocolate confections, although some feature local ingredients such as macadamia nuts or Kona coffee. But the candymakers, in business more than 30 years, do sell Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory bars and Kona Gold Coast Truffles, made from the same Big Island-grown chocolate and priced accordingly.

KAUA'I

Cool beans: While Steelgrass Farm above Kapa'a doesn't sell its own chocolate or cocoa beans just yet, it does offer three-hour tours called "Chocolate From Branch to Bar." After a guided walk through a tropical fruit and flower garden, the tour stops in the eight-acre farm's cacao orchard, where pods ripen year-round and participants can taste the seeds. It then moves to a tented area, where the guide explains the steps of processing chocolate before presenting an 11-course, single-origin dark chocolate tasting menu (including the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory brand).

The tour is offered three times a week at 9 a.m., rain or shine; reservations are required (808-821-1857 or e-mail info@steelgrass.org). It's $60 for adults, free for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.