Barefoot Chocolatini Cacao Farm and Chocolate Tours in Hawaii

Hello my chocolate loving tribe!

Meet a fellow craft chocolate enthusiast, Maddy Smith, the gorgeous girl behind Barefoot Chocolatini Tours.  I met Maddy when I visited Hawaii in September 2018.




Maddy is just as wild about chocolate and cacao as I am (maybe even a little more).  She has a depth of knowledge from working directly with cacao trees in Hawai'i plus is active in the cacao and chocolate industry in several different channels.  She currently hosts two different types of tours in Hawaii where she introduces people to cacao and chocolate all the way from the farm to the shop.

Chocolate Farm Tours and Tastings

On this tour Maddy truly wants you to understand the terroir of Hawaiian cacao.  First, she guides you through an eco farm with not just cacao but a plethora of of other fruits, nuts, flowers, and plants.  She gives you the chance to smell, touch, and sometimes taste the fruit growing on well nourished lush plants as she guides you through the farm and explains the farming practices.  Then, you'll head back to the beautiful covered outdoor seating area to dive into a tasting of fresh cacao as well as dried cacao from different areas of Hawaii.  With the beans side by side it is easy to taste the vast differences in flavor.  The fun isn't over yet.  Next up is a chocolate tasting.  Maddy takes warm chocolate, still in liquid form, direct from the kitchen where it is processing.  Then she pairs it with fruit direct from the farm.  Finally you  move on to tasting more bars.  By the end you are full of chocolate and you have a much better understanding of growing practices and terroir that can impact flavor.

Barefoot Chocolatini is also available for private tasting or wine pairing parties at your private location.  (Sounds like my kind of party!)

on the Barefoot Chocolatini Farm Tour under a cacao tree

Cacao Pods on the Barefoot Chocolatini Farm Tour

Maddy on the farm tour showing us the shampoo plant.

Exploring flowers on the Barefoot Chocolatini Farm Tour

Fresh liquid chocolate served up for tasting on the Barefoot Chocolatini tour.


Hawaiian Chocolate Shop How in Hilo - bar crawl or treasure hunt?


The Hawaiian Craft Chocolate Shop Hop is a great way for foodies and chocolate lovers alike to explore the Hilo Bayfront.  Maddy is knowledgable of the history of cacao in Hawai'i and loves introducing her guests to her friends in the chocolate industry.  The Hawaiian Craft Chocolate Shop Hop is a mix between a bar crawl and a treasure hunt for the finest chocolate we can find.  Maddy guides the way to uncover chocolate bars made by local artisans in unexpected places that the average passerby might miss.  It's a great activity for someone who wants to visit where the chocolate is made and discover a variety of local and delicious chocolate treats along the way.

Here is contact info for Maddy just in case you are heading to Hawai'i and want to connect with her for a tour:

www.barefootchocolatini.com 
Facebook.com/barefootchocolatini
Instagram.com/barefootchochocolatini 
Twitter.com/bchocolatini

East Hawai'i Cacao Association

Maddy is also part of the East Hawai'i Cacao Association, and since I was hanging out with her for the day she took me to the meeting that evening.  The cacao growers on Hawai'i are a diverse group that meets to connect and solve challenges common to all cacao growers on the island.  They also hold the Hilo Cacao & Chocolate Festival annually.  The next festival will be in April 2019, check out their site here.

Meeting with this group gave me great insight to cacao growers and those producing chocolate and chocolate associated products.  I so appreciate Maddy for introducing me to this group!  It is very rare, yet becoming more commonplace for cacao growers to also make chocolate.  With this trend growing in popularity here, Hawai'i is well on it's way to becoming the Napa Valley of chocolate

I know that in the future I'll meet Maddy again.  Somewhere, someday there will be a chocolate or cacao region or event, or maybe she will have her own cacao farm, where our paths will cross.  Looking forward to it!

-B

This post is part of a series about chocolate and cacao in Hawai'i.  Map:




This post is part of a series about chocolate and cacao in Hawai'i.  See Map.
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