A Hawaii island producer of honey and preserves and a Maui couple’s exotic fruit pastes have been named winners at the national Good Food Awards, announced last week in San Francisco.
Steve’s Akaka Falls Farm and Maui Fruit Jewels were selected not just for their top-quality artisan and local products, but for producing them responsibly.
Akaka Falls Farm, owned by Steve Stefanko, won in the honey category for its Dark Kiawe Honey and in the preserves category for its Tahitian Lime Ginger and Passionfruit Jalapeno jellies. Maui Fruit Jewels, owned by Chris and Lin ter Horst, also won under preserves for fruit pastes made from local mango, pineapple, lilikoi, papaya, coconut, turmeric and jalapeno.
The 199 winners were selected from some 2,000 entrants, under Good Food’s criteria of “creating vibrant, delicious, sustainable local food economies.”
On Oahu find Akaka Farms products at KCC, Kailua and King’s Village farmers markets and by mail order (click here for a schedule). Maui Fruit Jewels are sold at Whole Foods Market, Down to Earth and Foodland stores, as well as many resorts and online.
— Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser
LOCAL CHOCOLATE SCORES A WIN
Connoisseurs of dark chocolate can bite into an internationally recognized bar at Manoa Chocolate Hawaii’s new showroom at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort.
Dylan Butterbaugh, owner and founder of the Kailua-based company, accepted an Award de Saveurs in November from the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolate in Paris.
Tamara Butterbaugh, his wife and company publicist, said the award is hanging in the showroom in Waikiki, which provides guided tastings with information on Hawaii’s largest cacao growers.
One of only two awards given to chocolate makers outside France, the Saveur recognized Manoa Chocolate’s 70 percent cacao dark bar, sourced from beans grown on various parts of the Big Island.
The honor was bestowed in partnership with the Salon du Chocolat, one of the most prestigious international competitions for growers and chocolatiers. (Two other Hawaii entrants won top International Cocoa Awards for farming the most flavorful cacao beans.)
The bar is sold individually ($9.56) and as part of the Vintage 2017 Collection ($80-$120),which includes all of Manoa Chocolate’s 2017 bars, an assortment of dark chocolate sourced from specific regions, and flavored dark-milk bars such as Maui Lavender, Goat Milk and the Breakfast Bar with Kona coffee.
Outside the Hyatt showroom, find Manoa chocolates at the Kailua factory and tasting room, 315 Uluniu St., call 262-6789; Whole Foods and Down to Earth stores; and R. Field Wine Co. outlets in Foodland supermarkets. For a detailed list, visit manoachocolate.com.
— Pat Gee, Star-Advertiser
