Genuine. Classic. Original. This is not merely a tagline, but three words that have resonated through time, through each task performed and through every product delivered.

As a young man, Mamoru Takitani had a pioneering spirit and a desire to create a world-famous candy. Experimenting in his parents’ attic, he and his wife, Aiko, blended different kinds of chocolates developing a unique recipe. Mamoru began dipping macadamia nuts into this secret blend creating a sensation on Maui.

Armed with his fabulous recipe, Mamoru moved to Honolulu and purchased Ellen Dye Candies, a local confectioner since 1927 and renamed the company Hawaiian Host. Although there were early setbacks, through hard work and dedication, the Takitanis turned a small candy business into the country’s largest exporter of chocolate covered macadamias.