Hawaiʻi holds a lot of distinctions. It is the only U.S. state surrounded entirely by water, with its own language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi), and the only one that is getting bigger (Hello active volcanoes!). It is also the only state that grows cacao and one of only two states that grow coffee plants commercially.
It is fate. Hawaiʻi just happens to be located about twenty degrees north of the equator, which is the outer limits of cacao growing territory. This makes the tropical islands the coldest place in the world where cacao can grow. And cacao loves fertile, well-drained soil, of which Hawaiʻi has plenty. Coffee beans are happy to grow in paradise too. Kona coffee, which can only originate from the Kona districts of the “Big Island”, is world-renowned. Sunny mornings + rainy afternoons + temperate nights + mineral-rich volcanic soil + aloha = a seriously sought-after cuppa joe. For both chocolate and coffee connoisseurs, Hawaiʻi is regarded as a place where the soil yields extraordinary beans, all while making sustainability and fair labor practices imperative.
