Our Maui Ku’ia Estate Cacao Farm is located right in Lahaina and produces award-winning cacao for our Hawaiian chocolate. We also pride ourselves in sourcing cacao from some of the most renowned and exclusive places around the world. Our Vice President of Farm & Factory Operations, Daniel O’Doherty, regularly travels the world to oversee and manage our cacao sourcing. Single Origin chocolate is currently available from our farm in Lahaina, Costa Esmeraldas Ecuador, Semuliki Forest Uganda and Malekula Island Vanuatu.
We have also made chocolate from cacao from Peru, Madagascar, Bolivia, Vietnam, India, Nicaragua and many more origins. If you are intrigued by trying new origins and learning all about what makes them unique, join our Chocolate of the Month Club: The Ku'ia Club! Each shipment is exclusive and contains a letter written by Dan, who has been to the origin, sharing his knowledge and expertise with all of our club members.
Work began on our Maui Ku’ia Estate Cacao Farm in 2013, when former biotech entrepreneur, Gunars Valkirs, decided to combine his family history of farming with his obsession for outstanding chocolate. Located within the moku (traditional Hawaiian district) of Lahaina and the ahupua‘a (traditional Hawaiian land division) of Ku’ia, early days on the farm saw our team clearing the land, adding in irrigation and a system of windbreak and shade trees in order to create the tropical environment needed for Theobroma cacao (literally “cacao, food of the gods”) to flourish and produce its colorful pods, which contain the seeds from which chocolate is made.
The land that is now home to our Ku‘ia cacao farm has a long agricultural history. Beginning in the late 1800s, the area was used for commercial sugarcane production for more than a century on land leased from Kamehameha Schools, the trust established by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop to support education for Hawaiian children. After Pioneer Mill harvested its final sugarcane crop in 1999, the land sat fallow for years, overtaken by dry invasive grasses in Lahaina’s arid climate, shaped by historic deforestation and water diversion.
In recent years, Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate has worked to regenerate this land through sustainable cacao farming. From seedling to harvest-ready pod, we carefully cultivate our cacao with a long-term commitment to quality, stewardship, and agriculture in West Maui. We harvested our first cacao pods in April 2018 and today have approximately 6,000–7,000 cacao trees across 20 acres, with plans to continue expanding in the years ahead.
Most of our flavored chocolate uses a base cacao from Ecuador that we also make in a classic dark chocolate available for sale without flavors added. It has classic chocolate notes that perfectly accommodate our all of our flavors like Mapulehu Mango, Guava, Peppermint, etc.
Our Costa Esmeraldas cacao comes from an award-winning single-origin family estate with an incredible flavor profile. This is a farm that Dan has worked with for many years to develop their post-harvest processing, primarily fermentation and drying processes so that their beans can be sold for premium prices.
Dan frequently returns to Ecuador to monitor the operation and along with checking on quality control. This farm can boast winning the Cacao of Excellence award TWICE - just like us! Once in 2019 and again in 2025.
What makes the Costa Esmeraldas cacao so unique?
“The initial aroma has slight aged balsamic vinegar notes. Initial taste is balanced sugar/sour flavor with roasted hazelnuts. After full melt hazelnut flavor remains and full cocoa flavor tinged with aged balsamic vinegar that evokes a fruit flavor. Finish is long with very little bitterness mostly dominated by rich cocoa flavors.”
— Gunars Valkirs, CEO
We are thrilled to announce that we have started sourcing a delicious bean from a relative newcomer to the world of specialty cacao, Uganda. This cacao origin, known as Semuliki Forest, is sourced from small villages in the Bundibugyo district of Uganda, bordering the Semuliki National Park on the northern side of the majestic Rwenzori mountains. Latitude Trade Co. works with small farmers by centralizing fermentation and post-harvest processing to improve bean quality, create enough critical mass during lower-yield seasons, and help farmers earn higher prices for their cacao, ultimately supporting stronger and more sustainable livelihoods.
What are the tasting notes for the chocolate made from this Ugandan cacao?
We love this origin for its classic and nostalgic cocoa notes overlaid with complex aromas and flavors of ripe fruit, orange flowers, followed by an exceptionally smooth finish.
Vanuatu is a volcanic archipelago of 83 islands in the South Pacific, approximately 3,500 miles from Hawai‘i. Cacao production there dates back to the late 1800s, when British and French settlers introduced cacao as an alternative crop to cotton. Today, production remains incredibly small on a global scale, making Vanuatu cacao both rare and highly sought after. Our cacao comes from smallholder farmers on the island of Malekula, where traditional farming practices continue to shape the character of the cacao. Dan O’Doherty, our VP of Farm & Factory Operations, works closely with the farm, traveling regularly to Vanuatu to monitor quality and assist with post-harvest processing.
Why is the cacao grown in Vanuatu so unique?
Cacao grown in Vanuautu is primarily composed of the heirloom “Amelonado” varietal, a historic cacao known for its deep, classic chocolate flavor profile. Unlike many modern cacao-growing regions that have transitioned to hybrid varieties, Malekula’s cacao has remained remarkably unchanged over time. The result is a rich chocolate with notes of cocoa, nuttiness, and a refined espresso-like finish. While less fruit-forward than some origins, Vanuatu cacao is celebrated for its depth, balance, and traditional chocolate character.
