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Will Drive for Pastry – Midnight Bear Breads Perfects Artisan Baking

By on October 26, 2018 in Culinary Tour, Kauai Life, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Travel Tips

Hanapepe Town

Walking down the quiet, dusty main street of Hanapepe town can take you back in time. You could just as easily be sauntering through 1926 as 2018, simply ignore the few modern cars that dot the lane. Visitors and island locals alike often fall in love with the town for the feelings of Old Hawaii that it evokes. The Western Plantation style architecture remains the same as it was 100 years ago, and things move slow. Halfway through the town, you may have the urge to start following your nose. There seem to be cartoon-worthy smells wafting through the screen doors of a small, artisan bakeshop. You have arrived at Midnight Bear.

Pastry Heaven

Midnight Bear Breads

Owners Evan & Ursa have been operating since 2012 and are committed to bringing you the best local product that they can. Everything in the shop is done from scratch, no shortcuts. Midnight Bear brings a touch of modernity to Hanapepe while still maintaining connections with the lush valley surrounding the town. Farms in the valley grow anything from taro and sweet potato to apple bananas and cacao. We were lucky enough to visit Evan in preparation for the Coffee & Chocolate Festival that happens every Fall, and he shared with us the cacao he was utilizing. The cacao came from his local farmer, and he was doing all of the work to break it down, ferment it, roast and stone grind it there in the shop. Getting to try fresh harvested, roasted cacao nibs is an experience everyone should strive to have at least once in their life.

In the shop you will find their famous artisan breads, real deal layered croissants and delectable surprises each week. Using the croissant dough they create danishes filled with things like West side mango, homemade papaya jam from the back garden and vibrant dragon fruit. Only Hawaiian coffee is served in house, if you get there early enough in the morning you will be rewarded with a cup of their slow brew low acidity coffee, fresh warm bread and pastries.

Our Tasting Kauai team is very excited to have Midnight Bear as one of our tasting stops for our Hanapepe tour, book your tour to get to try some of the mouthwatering items described above here: Hanapepe Tour . Whether you can join us on our tour or not this trip, be sure not to miss out on your way out to the West side of the island. Visit Midnight Bear’s website for shop hours and to learn more about what they do here: Midnight Bear Breads

 

Hanapepe Walking Tour Launching In October!

By on September 21, 2018 in Culinary Tour, Culture, Kauai Life, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Launches, Pau Hana Friday, Travel Tips

The Tour

We here at Tasting Kauai are excited to share with you that our newest tour of Hanapepe town will be launching officially Friday, October 19th.  Come join us for an afternoon strolling the quiet streets of historic Hanapepe to learn about the town’s past, present and future through its food. We have curated tastings with the town’s best chefs who will help us paint the picture of Hanapepe’s plantation era roots, including traditional Hawaiian foods, Japanese cuisine, locally sourced organic baked goods, Portuguese style street food and culturally steeped Hawaiian sea salt focused demos.

The History

Hanapepe has a rich cultural past when it comes to food. Long before Captain Cook made landfall in Waimea, Hawaiians were farming this fertile valley. Kalo (taro), sweet potato, sugar cane, and bananas were all staples in this area. This was also one of the main areas for sea salt production, which later became Hawaiian’s first source of trade with seafaring voyagers. During the tour, you will learn about not only the traditional roots of the area but also the history of the Plantation Era beginning in the 1830s that brought contract laborers from Japan, Portugal, China, and the Philippines. The 20th century brought a U.S. Naval port up the road, changing the fervor and volume of business in the self-made town.

The Food

With all of these cultures (Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese) the flavors and landscape of food changed. We will get to try many of these styles of food, and learn about their roots. The tour will include generous tastings, as well as chef demos and recipes and treats to take home with you.

Hanapepe Town

Once the tour is over – don’t despair! Hanapepe Town has a weekly Friday Art Night starting at 5 p.m. so once all the delectable tastings have wrapped up you can walk the streets and experience more of the culture of Kauai’s Biggest Little Town. With over 16 art galleries open to the public, you will get the chance to meet Kauai artists and enjoy local music on the street. So come join us on the West Side for a full afternoon of all the cultural richness that Kauai has to offer.

We look forward to seeing you here in Hanapepe!

 

Nixtamal – The East Side’s newest tasty food truck

By on August 10, 2018 in Uncategorized
Our newest guide, Sabrina Petrov is scouting out new food for us on her home turf on the East side of the island. Here is what she has to report about the newest addition to Kauai’s food truck ohana:
Nixtamal (pronounced Neeks-tamal), Kapaa’s newest food truck, packs some serious yum! Opened three weeks ago, by couple Will and David, Nixtamal offers a simple menu of tamales, chicharrones, rice and beans. Vegans will be delighted to learn that there are  tamales for them too!
Born and raised on Kauai, Will brings his passion for food to his hometown. David, raised in Arizona, moved to Kauai after graduating high school and went on to graduate from the culinary program at KCC before the pair opened Nixtamal. This food truck serves up Mexican-Sonorran food, offering tasty, wholesome meals at a great price. A combo plate, with two tamales, rice, beans, and salsa, is $10.25.
We at Tasting Kauai do our best to introduce you to local family owned businesses which utilize local produce to the best of their abilities. The sweet potato offered in the veggie tamale comes from the little island of Moloka’i! The love and appreciation for food and for cooking can be felt in each bite of this delicious fare.
I opted for the veggie tamales and was delighted to taste fresh pumpkin and sweet potato inside of the moist tamale masa. The beans and rice were a perfect, creamy side. The red salsa did not disappoint – you can surely feel the heat! Make sure to try the green sauce as well as the house made pico de gallo, they both add nice texture and flavor to any dish. I enjoyed my tamales at the food truck’s bench, right by the ocean, while feeling the refreshing sea breeze.
If you find yourself in North Kapaa, craving something other than the usual taco, this is a great spot to check out- and you get the bang for your buck!
Check out @nixtamalkauai on social media and be sure to check us out @tastingkauai.

Tropical fruits not to miss at Kauai’s markets

By on August 1, 2018 in Culture, Farmers Markets, Travel Tips

Fruit Knowledge: Kauai Style

The history of fruit in Hawaii takes us all over the globe, beginning with the canoe crops of the Polynesian voyagers  brought here around 450 A.D. Today, you will find fruits that hail from the Americas, SE Asia, Africa, India and China. This year has proven to not be a bumper crop for mangoes.With the high rainfall and floods of the winter, many flowers never made it to fruits. But don’t despair, mango is not the only luscious fruit found here!

Apple Bananas & Pineapple

Here are a few of our funky favorites not to miss:

  1. Soursop -First on the list, and a personal favorite. Also known by the name Graviola, this green spiky fruit is packed with nutrients. Some say it tastes like a combination of banana and pineapple, with citrus back notes. You can slice in half, remove the seeds and use the white soft flesh in smoothies or just eat by the spoonful! It boosts immunity, has cancer fighting properties and is rich in Vitamin C. Our friends at Rising Sun Organic Farm almost always have a beautiful soursop fruit for you to try.
  2. Dragonfruit – Pitaya or dragonfruit is indigenous to the Americas, and resides in the cactus family. Don’t be intimidated by the green flame shaped spikes atop the bright pink skin. This fruit is very mild and easy to consume! Think of a refreshing kiwi mixed with the texture of a pear. Its health perks include calcium, carotene and high fiber content.
  3. Mountain Apple – also known as Rose or Malay apple, this fruit hails from Malaysia. Not to be confused with mainland apples, this refreshing fruit is perfect for summertime. It has a light pear texture and very nice floral or rosewater flavor. Polynesian voyagers first introduced this fruit centuries ago, the Hawaiian name is Ohi’a ‘ai. Eat this one for the history and the taste! Our friends at Monkeypod Jam make a great Mountain Apple Pepper Jelly if you feel the need to take some home.
  4. Mangosteen – Purple Mangosteen is a very elusive fruit. Traced back to SE Asia, the tree can take 10 years to start bearing fruit. However, once it gets going it will continue to produce until it is  over 100 years old.  Mangosteen is said to have the perfect balance of acid and sugar. Inside the leathery maroon skin are almond size and shaped segments of soft white fruit. Queen Victoria is said to have offered knighthood to anyone who could bring her this exotic fruit in edible condition (no one was successful). This fruit is not allowed to be shipped to the mainland United States – so I suggest if you find one of these hidden gems do not hesitate to try it out!
  5.  Starfruit – aka Carambola. Aptly named by its five pointed shape, as it creates perfect stars when  sliced into pieces. This fruit is one that friends and neighbors will try to drop off on your porch by the bushel. It has a mild, sweet flavor. Try to look for one that is more orange, these will be sweeter than if you get them more green and yellow! Sliced on top of a bowl of yogurt and drizzled with local honey is a great way to start your day on the island.

There are many more than these to discover, don’t miss out on the aloha of the farmers here. Ask them questions at the market, and be adventurous! Buy from many different tables to try fun varieties. Whatever you do, get out of your comfort zone and take advantage of these exotic fruits you will not be finding at your local supermarket. Now, go forth and be fruitful!

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