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Local Ingredients Used at Tasting Kauai Coconut Cook Off

Maloo (ma lo oh), or “Brown” coconuts (13 to 16 months) are fully mature seeds traditionally used to make coconut cream. Daniel Lane photo.

Maloo (ma lo oh), or “Brown” coconuts (13 to 16 months) are fully mature seeds traditionally used to make coconut cream. Daniel Lane photo.

Maloo (ma lo oh), or “Brown” coconuts (13 to 16 months) are fully mature seeds traditionally used to make coconut cream. Daniel Lane photo.


Kauai chefs will use local ingredients during the Tasting Kauai Coconut Cook Off this Saturday. To challenge them even more and open their creativity doors, the chefs will be surprised with additional ingredients from farmers markets and as well as mystery ingredients. There’s nothing like on-the-spot thinking to inspire growth and innovation!
I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase the Garden Island’s abundance and hope you’ll come to meet some of our stellar chefs and farmers, ask them questions, learn about new ingredients and maybe even put a few professional cooking techniques to use when you get back to your kitchen. And remember, you can enter the giveaway, which includes a seat at the judges’ table, a Tasting Kauai Royal Coconut Coast Food Tour and a cooler with some of the following ingredients, which are available at Kealia Farm Market as well as farmers markets across the island, and Hanai Kauai in Kapaa.

  • “Spoon meat” called Haohao (ha o ha o) in Hawaiian, can be eaten straight, but it is great for making smoothies, coconut bacon, coconut noodles or coconut yogurt. Daniel Lane photo.

    “Spoon meat” called Haohao (ha o ha o) in Hawaiian, can be eaten straight, but it is great for making smoothies, coconut bacon, coconut noodles or coconut yogurt. Daniel Lane photo.


    Kalalea Juice Hale is located in Anahola and makes fresh coconut every day for their coffee, acai bowls and smoothies. They are providing handmade *coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut water, spoon meat, mature meat and sprouted coconut.
  • Makaweli Meat Co. raises and processes grass-fed beef on the West Side of Kauai. They are providing top sirloin steaks.
  • Garden Isle Seafood is providing fresh opah and monchong, caught just off Kauai’s shores.
  • Kauai Shrimp is raised on the West Side of Kauai and sold fresh and whole with heads and shells.
  • Maui Nui Venison is available at Hanai Kauai. The wild Axis deer live in Maui’s year-round temperate climate without predators and an abundance of lush grass.
  • Niihau Ranch is providing lamb tenderloin, which is also available at Hanai Kauai. Livestock is 100 percent free-range, all-natural and graze on pristine Niihau forage. Lamb are raised without antibiotics, growth hormones or steroids.
  • Adam Asquith harvests taro at Kealia Farm in Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo

    Adam Asquith harvests taro at Kealia Farm in Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo


    Farmer Adam Asquith of Kealia Farm is providing cooked taro corms as well as an assortment of seasonal vegetables including beets with greens, greens (kale, chard, etc.), herbs, cucumbers and apple bananas.
  • Farmer Cody Myer of Rising Sun Farm is providing a special ingredient: one head of garlic, which is the last one they have! He is also providing nasturtium leaves and flowers, cilantro leaves and flowers, keiki ulu, Thai basil, purple basil, shiso, bilimbi, Thai, Italian and white eggplant, lilikoi, green papaya, banana leaf, lemongrass and mixed greens. Look for an article about Cody and his garlic in the recent edition of Edible Hawaiian Islands.
  • Hole in the Mountain Farm is providing Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapples, which are low-acid, sweet and so tender, you can eat the core!
  • Kauai Micro Greens is providing fresh and tender micro greens.
  • Passion Bakery is providing loaves of bread in a variety of flavors.
  • Cindy Johnson, owner of and blender for Tradewinds Spice Company, holds all eight blends that will be used during the competition. Daniel Lane photo

    Cindy Johnson, owner of and blender for Tradewinds Spice Company, holds all eight blends that will be used during the competition. Daniel Lane photo


    Tradewinds Spice Co. is providing the following spice blends: Paniolo BBQ Mix, Madame Pele’s Heat, Kokee Curry, Fajita Mix, Wu Chow Auntie’s Five Spice, Juian Jerk, Anuenue 5 Kind Peppercorns and Leilani’s Seasoning Salt.
  • Finishing salt from Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salt includes plain, black lava, kiawe smoked and *red alaea.
  • Monkeypod Jam is providing mystery ingredients, which are … secret!
  • As I mentioned in last week’s blog post “Hawaii Coconut Rum Cocktail Recipe“, another ingredient chefs will have access to is *Koloa Coconut Rum, which is made and bottled on the South Shore of Kauai.

“Poppers” (6 to 7 months old) are the youngest edible stage, typically have no meat, and are full of water. Daniel Lane photo

“Poppers” are the youngest edible stage, typically have no meat, and are full of water. Daniel Lane photo


Special thanks to:

  • The winning team will receive a first place coconut sculpture made and presented by keiki (children) at 10,000 Hands art school in Kapaa.
  • Bargreen Ellingson is providing all of the cooking utensils the chefs are using and after the competition, Bargreen Ellingson will donate them to Waimea High School’s culinary class.
  • Thanks to Hanai Kauai for the help and support.

Tasting Kauai Coconut Cook Off
at the 20th Annual Coconut Festival
Kapaa Beach Park
12:30 to 4 p.m.
Coconut Festival admission is $5, children 11 and under are free. Admission is free for the Cook Off.

Giveaway entries are $1 each and proceeds go to the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch. Must be present to win.
*Koloa Coconut Rum and fresh coconut products are not included in giveaway. Salty Wahine’s Red Alaea will be included in the giveaway.
For information about competing chefs, read “Tasting Kauai Coconut Cook Off at the 2016 Coconut Festival“.

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