Honestly, one of the reasons that I wanted to visit Kyushu, the reason I knew it existed, was because of Cacaoken, one of the first bean to bar chocolate makers in Japan. Despite its rural location in Iizuka, not too far from Fukuoka, many people find their way here. It’s packed.
The Nakano family, Toshimi and Fumiko along withtheir daughter Yukari founded Cacaoken, or “Cacao Laboratory”, placing a strong emphasis on research into cacao varieties, fermentation, roasting, flavour development and the nutritional and health benefits of chocolate. They have also worked with farmers directly on projects through their Cocoa Research Institute in Vietnam.
The café feels like a breath of fresh air, or perhaps a bit hug, likely thanks to Fumiko whose smile seems to envelop the entire space. Staff move busily around like bees, while large windows give visitors a glimpse into the chocolate making process. There are lots of big decisions to make once you sit down. They are just as famous, it seems, for their desserts as for their chocolate. I enjoyed a paste made of bean paste and 100 cocoa chocolate from Vietnam. The go to dessert though is the icecream cake served with a range of different chocolate sauces for dipping.
Then comes the question of what to take home. The Nori Milk bar? The Sansho bar? Yame Matcha? Or one of their single origins, especially from Vietnam. Or one of each?
They even have a chocolate venting machine in case you need your chocolate fix when the café is closed. If you are over this way, be sure to also visit Cacaogato, the business that Yukari started making her own chocolate.
Cacaoken, 880-2 Yakiyama, Iizuka, Fukuoka. Open every day from 10am to 6pm. @cacaoken on instagram https://cacaoken.com
