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!