Japan food maker, pastry chef showcase home-grown cacao chocolates

TSU, Japan - A food maker and pastry chef in central Japan on Wednesday showcased chocolates made entirely from domestically grown cacao, amid declining crops of the tropical tree seeds and their hiking prices.

Tsuji Oil Mills Co., a vegetable oil maker in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, began growing cacao in a greenhouse on the premise of a resort facility in the prefecture in 2021. The maker said it plans to sell the chocolates made from the cacao at a nearby shop though it has yet to decide a launch date or the prices.