aloha kona coffee

truth be told, the closest i ever come to drinking coffee is when i order up a mocha milkshake, however the abundance of coffee farms in the islands combined with the number of coffee lovers in my 'ohana means i am always on the lookout for small producers who grow their beans au naturale.

an abbreviated version of six degrees of separation was all it took for my recent discovery of aloha kona coffee, a small sustainable family farm located up on the fertile, coffee-producing slopes of holualoa on the big island. the farm was started by dana & mark leong and their story is a sweet one - maui girl meets oahu boy. marry & start a family. fulfill dream of ditching the corporate rat race and moving to the country to live off the 'aina. oh, and in between they both crossed the finish line of the ironman a few times.

although akc is not certified organic (which can be a lengthy and expensive process), the leong 'ohana nixes pesticides in favor of organic homemade teas to keep their coffee plants healthy and happy. production is kept in-house with every family member pitching in from tending to their own section of the farm to assisting with harvesting, roasting and packaging the final product.

the estate grown beans are roasted fresh (from medium to espresso) for each and every order, and, if you prefer your cup o' joe to have a different intensity or fancy a batch of green beans to roast yourself, simply drop aloha kona coffee a note to request a special order.

and, coffee aficionados will be happy to hear that the akc 'ohana is sweetening the pot for h|h readers with savings of 10% off your next caffeine fix!

• secret code: kona08
• expires: dec 31st, 2008

p.s. behind the scenes farm tours of akc's holualoa property is available by appointment (email for more details).

merriman's culinary & farm tour

the official arrival of summer seems to be a good time to reinstate the saturday travel post which went on an unintended holiday of its own sometime last year. if you have checked airfares to/from hawaii lately, it will come as no surprise that fewer travelers will be taking to the (un)friendly skies this summer and opting for the budget-friendly staycation (vacations close to home, natch).

lucky for us, hawaii's to-do list has something for everyone so whether you are on island 24/7, returning home for a visit, or just looking to get the most bang for your buck on your hawaii getaway, stop by every saturday to discover a little off the beaten path inspiration for your next round of wanderings around the islands.

if summer plans will be taking you to the big island and good eats are your fancy vacation splurge, book a behind-the-scenes peek and follow your meal from farm to table with merriman's culinary & farm tour. after an afternoon spent touring two of merriman's favorite local purveyors, the ranchlands of kahua & the organic honopua farm, the culinary excursion winds down with a four course dinner at the acclaimed restaurant, one of the original vanguards of hawaii regional cuisine.

• when: mon - thu, 2:30p to 7:30p
• tix: $155 (dinner included)
• fyi: reservations required; ages 8 & up

learn more over at the star-bulletin.

field of greens

nalo farms

it's been quite some time since the last saturday travel post, but today's pick is one sure to pique the interest of kama'aina and visiting foodies. nalo greens have become a staple on local menus whether it's served up on a plate lunch or presented with your gourmet dinner.

now you can actually walk the famous fields of waimanaolo's nalo farms for a behind the scenes tour of how your greens get from farm to table. the 45 minute tour sounds like a delicious diversion for foodie fans who want to peek inside the operations of one of the earliest purveyors of hawaii's resurgent slow food movement.

farm fresh greens & herbs are also in abundance at nalo's booth at the weekly farmers markets in kailua and at kcc.

tour details:

• ten person minimum per group
• reservations required (ring 808.259.7698 for more info)

{via hawaii magazine}

yummy honey

 

one of the first things that caught my eye when i first spotted a jar of volcano island honey was the label. the artwork was donated by dietrich varez, the noted big island linoblock artist (and one of my favorites), who must be a fan of the lovely organic white honey. in addition to the original honey, you can also savor honey with a ginger, lilikoi or lehua twist.

the artisanal honey company has been sharing their nectar for 25 years and it has been said to be "some of the best honey in the entire world". the secret may be that the honey is harvested from a kiawe forest on the big island where some sort of alchemy occurs when the unique topography and nature meet up with the honeybees.

volcano island honey can be found at specialty shops around the islands. if you're ordering online remember that there is minimum order of $40 to avoid a shipping surcharge or just stop by your nearest whole foods which also stocks the honey.

hawaiian vanilla company

it's the secret ingredient at some of the most notable restaurants in the islands so, if you love to bake, you may want to stock up on premium vanilla beans & extract from the big island's hawaiian vanilla company which has the distinction of being the one and only vanilla farm in the states.

even if you're not into cooking, hawaiian vanilla has partnered up with other local companies so your tastebuds will be the happy recipient of estate grown 100% hawaiian vanilla coffee, roselani ice cream, and other goodies.

you can even take a culinary tour and discover all things vanilla at an upcountry tea, luncheon or tasting (reservations required) at hawaiian vanilla's vineyard on the hamakua coast.