Manawai Estate Chocolate

This week marks a new chapter for Sweet Paradise, the purchase of 7 acres on the Hana Hwy in Haiku for farming cacao.
Who would have thought that at 58 I'd become a farmer and yet the very thought is quite exciting.
I currently have several hundred trees in a greenhouse . Not knowing the exact parentage of the seeds we tasted all the pulp and gave each batch a name based on its taste aling with pics and descriptions of its pod. Thick or thin wall, shape and color, number of seeds and pulp quanity. These things may be needless info ... Or not.
Our collection sports names like sweet and juicy, lychee, green apple and fruit loops.
Its exciting to think that in just 3 years we could be making our own chocolate from these trees.
With a sustainable goal in mind we are also planting all the other things we use in our chocolate production- lilikoi vines, blood oranges, coffee,cloves, starfruit and vanilla .Being in natures seasonal rythmn gives value to life and appreciation for our food sources.
Although I've never farmed on a large scale , property development and small scale orchards have been part of my past when I owned a large boarding stable for horses. It introduced me to rural life, tractors, chickens and moving earth.
So here we are in Hawaii on a new farming journey and a goal to have a sustainable chocolate production.
Stay tuned as the journey unfolds.

Hawaii Chocolate

We are really excited by the idea of Chocolate in Hawaii. Not just any chocolate, but Hawaii grown chocolate. Did you know Hawaii is the only state that can grow chocolate? There are still only about 200 acres or fewer in production (making Hawaii one of the rarest chocolates in the world) but that number is increasing steadily. The Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kona was a pioneer in Hawaii Chocolate. Pam and Bob Cooper grow, harvest, ferment, dry and roast their own beans and process it into chocolate, all on their own farm. Waialua Estate on the North Shore of Oahu is the largest cacao farm in Hawaii with 25 productive acres. They grow, harvest, ferment and dry their beans then ship them to Guittard in California to transform it into chocolate on state of the art equipemnt not yet to be found in Hawaii. There are dozens of other small farms on Kauai,Oahu, Big island and Maui, ranging from about 2-5 acres in size. Our hope is that one day Hawaii will support an industry in chocolate like the Napa Valley has done with wine. Our own trees are thriving in Maui...watch for our chocolate in a year or two.

Packing

Wed begins a chocolate adventure to South America. Ecuador and Peru. Living in the tropics its so hard to have a sense of cold weather and how to dress for it. I've packed and repacked my suitcase 3 or 4 times now...

Valentines Day Gift Guide

Valentines Day is fast approaching. Guys, need a little help? Here's some do's and don'ts. If you have been dating for just a short while, DO give a gift box of chocolate but don't overdo it with one of those fabulous giant hearts. Chocolate will win her heart for sure. If you've been dating over a year that big heart would be most welcome and tell her she's pretty special. Ready to pop the big question? Bury that ring in with the chocolates for an extra special surprise or let us do a custom gift basket.
Married and want to spice things up? Kama Sutra makes some terrific and fun body products. Oil of Love is a massage oil made with vanilla, chocolate and spices. How about getting creative with chocolate or caramel body paint? Or a light dusting of edible Honey dust in chocolate. And don't forget the card...sure you could get one of those soapy Hallmark cards but how about an elegant hand made card from Artist Marilyn Jansen Lopes. We have a huge selection and the blank card inside lets YOU write a more meaningful personal message. Trust me you'll score big on this no matter how long you've been together.
Valentines is also a great excuse to tell your friends and co-workers that you care for them with a little treat. We have passionfruit kisses and cute 4 pc boxes with Essence of Rose, a Nipple of Venus, Red Velvet and a Salt Caramel.
Speaking of Nipple of Venus, for the those who really want some fun, ask about our Kama Sutra Chocolates...you must be 21 or over for a sneak peek...
We will have a limited supply of chocolate dipped strawberries on Valentines Day. These must be made and eaten the same day. Berries go soggy in the fridge overnight so you won't impress anyone by buying them the day before and would you trust something that fragile to ship a few days in the mail and be fresh without a preservative? Not. Come and get them after noon until we are sold out on Tuesday only. MAke it a great day!

Happy New Year 2012

Happy new year 2012. Its an exciting time in chocolate. Our flagship Wailea store is open and doing well and we are in the thick of the winter season in Maui which means lots of tourists and the return of humpback whales. In November I enrolled in the Dept of Commerce's "Export University" program. There is a lot to exporting but it can potentially be lucrative. We went thru a rigorous process and paperwork to sell our products in Japan and now We are busy fulfilling a large order for a large Japanese Dept store and look forward to the filming in 2 weeks of a chocolate segment for Japanese TV and in store promotion.
We are officially EXPORTERS!
I am enjoying the seasonal /holiday change in store decor and product presentation. Each holiday is a chance to be creative and artistic. Now we are approaching Valentines Day, the largest chocolate holiday of the year. I've been shopping for packaging which is never an easy task. Especially when you are floating on an island in the ocean. I got in a few samples of things that did not impress me. heart packaging can be so drugstore cheesy when not done right and very elegant when made well. I think we finally have it settled and can now focus on some other products. We also carry Kama Sutra products in chocolate which are fun...body paint, body souffle, honey dust and chocolate massage oil.Its such a joy when people come in and discover the "perfect" gift for someone they love.
Also on our horizon is the Philadelphia International Flower show in March and The Honolulu Chocolate Festival in late February. Theres no resting in the winter!

Wailea Chocolate Boutique

Our Wailea , Maui Chocolate Boutique will finally open in time for Mother's Day. This has been a nine month process from the day we signed our lease. Doing business in Hawaii is not easy. Our "offical" grand opening party will be June 16th in conjunction with the Wailea film festival.
We are located in the new Wailea Gateway shopping center at the end of the Pii'lani Hwy where it turns into Wailea Ike Drive and drops down into the resort. Our hours are 10am-7PM, 7 days a week.
In addition to our signature tropical chocolate truffles we feature Tropical Dreams Ice Cream and Sorbets from the Big Island.Cool off on your way back from Big Beach in our airconditioned chocolate paradise. www.sweetparadisechocolate.com

Award Winning Hawaii Chocolatier adds Sweet Luxury to Maui

Award Winning Hawaii Chocolatier adds Sweet Luxury to Maui



Lahaina, Maui Oct 9th, 2010

Sweet Paradise Chocolatier, an artisan chocolate company owned by Melanie Boudar with a retail location in Kailua, Oahu is expanding its horizons to Maui.

The company has relocated its production kitchen from the Big Island of Hawaii to the Lahaina Design Center in West Maui due to open mid October. It will be an open concept kitchen where customers can order a handmade hot chocolate or 100% Hawaiian drip/French press coffee, and sit and watch the artisan chocolates being made. You may also purchase a guided tasting flight of world origin chocolates including Hawaii grown chocolate.

Customers can purchase fresh take home boxes of chocolates direct from the kitchen showcase which will tempt you with its myriad of colors ,textures and flavors such as Coconut Curry, Lilikoi Silk, Mango Mojito, Cappucino Tiramisu Lime in the Coconut, Lemon Basil with Pink Peppercorn or Wasbe Ginger Sesame. Melanie creates over 40 unique and tropical flavor truffles and confections, whose hand painted artistry looks like edible gems, and is made with premium dark , milk and white chocolates.

Melanie chose the Lahaina Design Center after meeting award- winning kitchen designer Rick Cowan of Archipelago Maui. Archipelago built out the unique commercial kitchen for Sweet Paradise Chocolatier which looks more like a TV set from the Food Network than an industrial kitchen. The Lahaina Design Center and Sweet Paradise Chocolatier plan to host various chocolate and cooking classes plus foodie events in the new space.

Sweet Paradise Chocolatier has also signed a lease with the new Wailea Gateway Center, Piilani Hwy at Wailea Ike Dr and will join other fine retailers and restaurants like Merrimans, Pita Paradise and Waterlily Boutique in that location. The store is scheduled to open in time for Xmas and will also feature Tropical Dreams Premium Ice Cream, Gelato and Sorbets, made on the Big Island . In her signature style Melanie has designed the store interior to showcase the world origins of fine chocolate from the colorful cocoa pods produced by the tree to finished bars and confections. The store will feature a life size replica of a cacao tree created by artist Elizabeth Miller of Volcano.

Melanie has won numerous awards for her chocolate artistry including the Coveted Judges Choice award 3 years running at the Kona Chocolate Festival, Kailua Chamber of Commerce’s best new Business in 2009 , 2010 Talk of the Town Customer Service award, and The Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine Local Hero Food Artisan award in 2010.



More information contact: Melanie Boudar Hawaiichocolate@gmail.com

Or (808) 557-5358 www.sweetparadisechocolate.com



#######

Lahaina Maui Chocolate Kitchen

Our Lahaina, Maui Chocolate kitchen is under construction with a mid October target date to be up and running (which means a party!) The kitchen is located at 75 Kupuohi St, in the Lahaina Industrial area, Its inside the Lahaina Design Center, home of Archipelago Hawaii, kitchen designer Rick Cowan, Davis Tile and Marble and At Home Home Theatre.We can't wait to get some chocolate working in this beautiful kitchen. We will have a walk in retail showcase where you can purchase fresh chocolates.
Umm I'm already going thru my own chocolate withdrawal since I packed up the enrober and equipment to ship to Maui on the barge.

Sweet Paradise receives Award

Sweet Paradise was the recent recipient for the Local Hero 2010 Food Artisan Award given by the Edible Hawaiian Islands Magazine. Edible Hawaiian Islands is part of the Edible Communities-A magazine published bi-monthly in cities across the country.
We are honored to be recognized with this award and proud to be a member of such an exciting foodie community in Hawaii.

At 4 Pm today I received this picture. Its our Kailua store and its...SOLD OUT! A record day of chocolate for us. We had planned on being open Sunday, Valentines Day, but now we can't. Waikoloa is a similar story. At 2:30 I got a call that maybe we had 500 pieces of chocolate left. Tomorrow I am on my way to the Hilton Waikoloa for a benefit Valentines Brunch where I will be giving away over a $1000 of chocolate while my store sits almost empty. I thought of not going...but I promised I'd do the benefit and the show must go on. There is a Beach Boys concert in Waikoloa tomorrow, the resort will be jammed. I ran to the store tonight and bought about 100 strawberries. I will get up at 4Am and dip them because strawberries must be dipped and eaten the same day or they are gross. I am tempering a little chocolate tonight to dip a few apricots and raspberry truffles but I have no real equipment over here...its in the Tropical Dreams kitchen 100 miles away. What a predicament.
Thank you everyone for keeping us on your Valentine's Short list!

Pineapple Starfruit

I am so excited every time we find perfect starfruit in the farmers market. (which is not often). To be a chocolate decoration they have to be exactly the right size, and ripeness. We take them, slice them and dry them carefully in our Excaliber dehydrator and the little stars are adorable when finished.
When I've collected enough stars we produce a chocolate called Pineapple Starfruit. This confection is made with Waialua Hawaiian Milk Chocolate on the inside. It has a rich caramel raisiny flavor enhanced by pureed pineapple, fresh cream and a splash of starfruit juice. Its then enrobed in dark chocolate and decorated with the dried star.

Because its so scarce, Pineapple Starfruit is only offered in our pretty ocean blue 7 pc tropical box along with Lilikoi Silk, Mango Ginger, Kona Coffee, Macadamia Nut ,Coconut Creme Brulee and Island Spice ( Fresh young Ginger, Kona Vanilla,Kona Cinnamon and Puna Cloves, all spices sourced on the Big Island). This box makes a great gift to take home to friends in those cold climates who are dreaming about the tropics.

Kailua Best New Business 2009

Today was a great day. Sweet Paradise Chocolatier was awarded the Best New Business in Kailua 2009 by the Kailua Chamber of Commerce. Its really great to see all our hard work recognized and my personal thanks go out to my Kailua staff, Miki Kawazu and Glynnis Rismiller who are such a part of that success. We had someone email us that our little chocolate shop is a "Kailua Treasure". Its our customers feedback that keeps us going and feel really proud about what we do. We are so happy to be able to feed the souls of so many people and educate them on what fine chocolate is about. Remember there is nothing better than a friend...except a friend with chocolate!

HALLoween

That crazy and fun holiday Halloween is almost here. While us adults can't go trick or treat anymore it doesn't mean we can't partake in a few sweets. Sweet Paradise has treats for all ages, including our Halloween specialty bon- bon, LUCID made with Absinthe, Jack O' Lanterns and Cauldrons filled pumpkin spice truffles, bloody finger pops and skeleton fingers (dried apple bananas) caramel apples drizzled in chocolate, and delicious plump, dried turkish figs stuffed with caramel and pumpkin ganache and dipped in dark chocolate. Come visit our Kings Shops or Kailua Oahu locations for the perfect hostess box to take to your Halloween party.

Kona Chocolate Festival

Sweet Paradise was once again the 1 st place Sweet winner and brought home the coveted Judges Choice Award. Our entry this year was titled "Tea Ceremony" and featured tea infusions from the Big Island Tea Company in Glenwood, and chocolate from Waialua Estate on Oahu and The Originial Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kona.

Announcing Our Newest Hawaii Chocolate Shop

Sweet Paradise will open its newest Hawaii Chocolate Shop at the Kings Shops, Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island.The 300 sf Chocolate boutique will open July 1st and feature our signature topical bon-bons. Chocolate bars from the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, Malie Kai, Garden Island Chocolate and Waialua Estate chocolate from the North Shore of Oahu will allow chocoholics to taste chocolate grown in Hawaii. Other bean to bar chocolatemakers from around the world such as Amano, Amedi, and Theo will also be featured. In addition to chocolates Sweet paradise is the place to cool off with exotic tropical gelato and sorbetto or a frozen chocolate drink. Sweet Paradise Chocolatier joins a lineup of luxury brand stores such as Tiffanys, Coach, Barton and Leeds, and Tommy Bahama on the Kohala Coast . The grand opening at Kings Shops will coincide with the Great Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race. Waikoloa Beach resort features the Hilton Hotel, The Marriott, Hilton Grand Vacation Clubs and a wealth of mid priced and luxury condo units.

Sugar Free for 2009

Sweet Paradise is pleased to announce that we will have a sugar free chocolate collection in 2009. We are currently researching all our options for adding nice ingredients to the chocolate, acai berry, chopped nuts etc. Hawaii has one of the highest diabetes rates in the country but that does not mean you have to give up your love of chocolate.

Chocolate Boutique Now Open

Our Kailua shop is now open Wed-Sat 11:00am to 6 PM.
read about it here.
http://www.prlog.org/10141699-the-art-of-chocolate-hawaiian-style-unique-chocolate-boutique-opens-in-oahu.html

Hawaii Chocolate

Hawaii is the only state in the US that can grow chocolate. Hawaii currently has a small, dedicated group of cacao farmers on all islands seeking to make Hawaiian chocolate the next Kona coffee. Pioneers Pam and Bob Cooper of Kona have been growing and processing their own chocolate for many years. Their Original Hawaiian chocolate Factory gives tours of the farm and the processing. Dole owns a cacao plantation on the North Shore of Oahu. They have been producing chocolates that have been used successfully by island chefs. Their farm is not currently open to the public.
Sweet Paradise carries Hawaiian grown chocolate on its website at http://www.sweetparadisechocolate.com and at its Kailua, Oahu retail location. Come and try Hawaii's most unique and desirable agriculture product. We even have chocolate bars with Kava!

Chocolate Flavor Alchemy

Its the time of the year to fill the cases with an assortment of flavors for holiday purchases and preparing those is a type of alchemy. I personally dislike Milk Chocolate because it has 40% or LESS cacao and is loaded with fat and sugar. I have selected an everyday Belgian dark chocolate at 65% I feel most people will accept and learn to appreciate in lieu of milk chocolate. Its smooth and not at all bitter. I do find some flavors pair better when they are with milk or even white chocolate-banana, coconut, key lime, lychee all taste better with the flavor in white chocolate , but dipped in dark for the finish. Chai, spicy chocolate, and coffee have more flavor when mixed in milk chocolate and then enrobed in dark. The berry families-raspberry, blueberry, acai berry all pair best in dark chocolate. Oranges seem to cross borders pairing with white, milk or dark.

The Dark Chocolate standard is anything over 40%. What does percentage mean? The percentage is the amount of cocoa liquor(paste) plus the cocoa butter. The remaining percentage is sugar or milk solids in the case of milk chocolate. The manufacturer does not break down the cocoa liquor from the cocoa butter, so two chocolates from a similar origin and same percentage can actually taste and have a different mouth feel. Higher percentage cacao does not translate to "better" . Most people like a range between 55-65%. Over that chocolate is a lot more bitter.
What is the BEST chocolate in the world? Its the one YOU love the most.

Sweet Paradise Chocolatier Hawaii

Welcome to the Blog of Sweet Paradise Chocolatier. Our Blog is about everything chocolate in Hawaii ...and beyond.
Sweet Paradise Chocolatier was born out of my initial desire to set my luxury lodging property, At the Craters Edge, in Volcano on the Big Island, apart with hand made fresh chocolates. A Diamond Buyer, travelling to Belgium for many years, I became intimate with some of the best chocolate shops in the world. It is that same level of quality, with an artistic flair from my years as a jeweler and my committment to fresh island ingredients that sets this chocolate apart. Sweet Paradise was the winner of the Kona Chocolate Festival Judges Choice Award in both 2007 and 2008. Join us as we chronicle the opening of a new store in Kailua on Oahu and everything chocolate in Hawaii.