Meet the Taiwanese chocolate maker turning local cacao into award-winning bars

Warren Hsu Hua-jen makes what is undoubtedly one of the world’s most unusual chocolate concoctions, and in a somewhat unlikely place. His shrimp and almond bars are produced using ingredients sourced almost entirely from his native Taiwan – an island better known for its bubble tea and beef noodles.

Hsu, 36, produces a range of chocolate at Fu Wan Cafe Villa in Donggang township, southwest Taiwan. Managed by Hsu, designed by his architect brother Jeffery Hsu Chao-chin and funded by their father, Hsu Feng-chia, the resort is situated on land that has been in the family for generations.

The eco resort, in Pingtung county, has four Balinese-style villas and 14 suites nestled in lush, green surroundings, as well as a sustainable restaurant.

Hsu served as Fu Wan’s head chef and manager before discovering his passion for chocolate.

“But even though I’d been a chef for five years, almost everyone I knew was surprised when I got into the chocolate making business. Everyone thought I was going to be a chocolatier,” he says, referring to the job of making confectionery out of ready-made chocolate. “Tree-to-bar chocolate was a little-known concept in Taiwan.”

Though the cacao tree is native to the Americas, southwest Taiwan offers perfect conditions for the beans’ cultivation, he says. The hilly terrain surrounding Mount Dawu experiences hot, humid weather, while providing enough protection from the wind.