Sustainable You Hawaii

Sustainable You Hawaii – D-Green’s BBQ

D Green’s BBQ, situated in Old Koloa Town, Koloa, Hawaii, presents itself as a venue for southern-style BBQ, integrated with the unique flavors imparted by local lychee wood. Chef Darren Green, with over three decades in the culinary industry, offers a menu that includes brisket, ribs, and pulled pork among other staple BBQ items, and emphasizes a distinctive, Hawaiian-influenced BBQ approach through a signature slow-and-low lychee wood smoking technique.

In a segment hosted by Amanda Smith on Kaua‘i TV, Chef Darren Green delineated the offerings and practices of D Green’s BBQ. The chef succinctly summed up his menu, stating, “We serve brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken, sausage, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, all the staples.” His culinary approach provides a canvas to explore the confluence of traditional BBQ with local ingredients. A particular emphasis is placed on the establishment’s BBQ sauce, which is available in three heat variants and, according to Green, is an amalgamation of “all the regions of barbecue in a bottle” with “the predominant flavor [being] pineapple juice.”

One highlight of the BBQ menu, the brisket, undergoes a 20-hour cooking process and employs a spice rub consisting of around “40 different spices.” Green details the care taken to achieve a specific outcome with the brisket, noting, “you get the best of both worlds, you get a little bit of lean and you get a little bit of fatty. This will turn into like almost bacon when it’s done cooking for another two and a half hours.”

Chef Green also shared his practice of utilizing lychee wood in his smoking technique, acknowledging that it imparts a “sweet smoke” to the meats. The meticulous preparation and cooking processes culminate in dishes that Smith described as having a bacon flavor, being “definitely smoky,” and meat that “melts in my mouth, literally.”

The sauces, which notably incorporate Trinidad Scorpion peppers grown by Green himself, are formulated to deliver recognizable but manageable heat. Describing the spiciest variant, Green said, “It’s insanely hot, so I only use a small amount, just enough so that you know there’s some heat there but not enough so that it’s like, ‘Oh my god, I gotta go get a glass of milk.’”

D Green’s BBQ finds its ethos rooted in a harmonization of traditional Louisiana and southern comfort food with Hawaiian culinary innovation, providing a gastronomic exploration of both familiarity and novelty. Smith noted the establishment’s atmosphere as a “barbecue oasis” and encapsulated the perceptible aroma, suggesting, “we should bottle that bacon, just sell it as perfume.” This suggestion, while ostensibly lighthearted, underscores the deeply ingrained nature of sensory experiences in memory and familiarity, an element inherently tied to the act of dining.

While the segment on Kaua‘i TV concludes with a palpable enthusiasm for the dishes sampled and a spirited endorsement from the host, it nonetheless provides an unscripted and firsthand account of the offerings at D Green’s BBQ, illuminating the culinary philosophies and practices therein. The establishment, through a careful marriage of traditional and innovative practices, seeks to carve out a distinctive space within the culinary tapestry of Hawaii.

D-Green’s BBQ Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – The Musubi Truck

Nestled in Kapa’a town, the Musubi Truck has garnered attention for its unique spin on a longstanding Hawaiian staple: the musubi. SPAM, a protein that found its way into the diets of Hawaiians during the 1940s wartime, evolved into a culinary mainstay, and by the 1980s, it was being crafted into SPAM musubi by local innovators like Barbara of Jonihana, after whom the Musubi Truck is affectionately named. As Nicolette, one of the craftspeople behind the Musubi Truck, shared with Amanda Smith, host of Kauai TV, “Spam came to Hawaii in the 1940s during wartime, and it quickly became the main staple protein for locals.” Nicolette illustrated how the truck has shifted from the classical SPAM, rice, and nori composition towards something more gourmet, yet still anchored in tradition.

While the Musubi Truck pays homage to the traditional SPAM musubi, known colloquially as the OG Spam musubi, its offerings veer into innovative territories. An example of this innovation is the Ahi Katsu Musubi. Nicolette detailed the process, stating, “We got fresh fish from local fishermen. We have a slew of them that keep in touch with us. It’s panko’d and fried and then tucked into the rice and wrapped with the nori with a little furikake again on top and a katsu sauce.” The meticulous crafting of each musubi, from careful rice pressing to adroit nori wrapping, yields a harmonious blend of crunchy and soft textures, warmly enfolding the palate.

Contrastingly, their Ahi poke bowl, which Nicolette described as having “cold, crisp Ahi on the warm rice with the furikake, Hawaiian salt, just a touch of it so that you taste it every other bite,” is a different kind of culinary experience yet still revered by both tourists and locals. The juxtaposition of the cool Ahi with the warmth of the rice provides a notable variation, establishing the Musubi Truck not just as a one-note wonder but a place where tradition and innovation harmoniously reside side by side.

The truck, while primarily a food service entity, extends its influence beyond the culinary realm through community involvement, particularly via their “Feed Our Keiki” program. Nicolette shared with Smith, “Since we’re close to the skatepark and the middle school, they all come flowing through here, and we’ve really become a place for them that’s safe.” Through the program, children in the vicinity, either from the skatepark or the school, are provided with a nourishing meal, comprising of the original Spam musubi, chips, and a drink. The initiative is not just about feeding the youth but also about providing a safe and welcoming space, weaving a tapestry where sustenance and community converge.

In a realm where food, tradition, and community interfuse, the Musubi Truck finds its niche, offering not merely a meal but an experience, a connection to the roots and evolution of Hawaiian culinary arts, and a warm embrace to the community it serves. This synthesis of culinary innovation, respect for tradition, and community integration delineates a unique path in which the Musubi Truck navigates, meandering through the tastes and spirits of Kaua’i, crafting not just food, but narratives enveloped in nori, sprinkled with furikake, and imbued with the essence of aloha.

Musubi Truck Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – Nani Moon Mead

Nani Moon Mead, positioned in Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii, underscores its expertise in crafting mead—an alcoholic beverage originating from fermented honey. The business integrates a diverse assortment of local ingredients, prominently Hawaiian honey and various indigenous tropical fruits, spices, and herbs. The resultant beverage is a reflection of the Hawaiian terroir, enriched by the locale’s characteristic biodiversity. An apparent commitment to sustainability and the reinforcement of local agriculture echoes through the meadery’s practices, given their exclusive use of Hawaiian honey and local produce in crafting their meads.

In a conversation with Amanda Smith, Stephanie from Nani Moon Meadery elucidates, “Basically, what mead is is an alcoholic beverage that’s made from honey. We make mead because we can get all of our ingredients locally. So we get honey from our own hives and fruit and spices from our local farmers, so you’re left with a product that’s 100% Hawaiian and tropical.” This underscores the meadery’s intent to embed itself in practices that favor local production and sustainability, whilst producing a beverage intrinsically tied to its geographical and cultural context.

When visiting Nani Moon Mead, customers find a tasting room, where a range of meads, distinct in their flavor profiles, are available for exploration and purchase. They have meads that range from the brightly tropical to those imbued with richer, spicier notes. Mention of several meads, such as Pineapple Guava Sunset and Winter Sun, indicates a palette inspired by and derived from the local environment. Furthermore, the tasting room is not only a space for sampling but also serves as an informative stage, where aspects of mead production and ingredient details are divulged to the visitors.

Navigating through the assortment of meads Nani Moon Mead offers, Stephanie outlines, “We do have seven varieties of our commercial meads, which you’ll find on our menu as well as sometimes seasonals… We highly recommend the royal flight, and that can be enjoyed for two people or for an ambitious one person, and that’s a two-ounce pour of all seven of our commercial varieties.” A snapshot into a few of the meads—like the Ginger Spice, which “is made with Kauai honey, star fruit, organic raw ginger, and organic spices,” or the Winter Sun, formulated with “local raw honey, star fruit, and passion fruit,”—provides insight into the thoughtful fusion of local ingredients.

Moreover, the meadery is described as ensuring a meticulous blending of traditional mead production practices while engaging in collaborations and close workings with local beekeepers and farmers, maintaining a singular emphasis on ingredient quality and genuineness. The resultant mead offerings are notably crafted to create not merely a beverage but an experience that encapsulates Hawaii’s vibrant and distinctive environmental attributes.

Stephanie’s comments in the video about various meads provided insights into the myriad of options available to patrons. Regarding the Cacao Moon, she remarked it is “made with local macadamia nut blossom honey and chocolate and vanilla, both grown on the north shore of Kauai, so it’s semi-sweet and just super beautiful and smooth.” Another variant, Deviant Behavior, presents an intriguing blend, being “made with Kauai honey, Hawaiian chili peppers, and pineapple.”

She wraps up the interaction with a note that for customers who traverse the tasting journey and wish to take a piece of it back home, “We do tastings and we do full bottle purchases here, so you can either come in and buy a few bottles or you can come in for a taste and leave with bottles. We do ship to the mainland, so if you come in and want to take anything home with you, we can provide that shipping option to select states.”

Nani Moon Mead is not merely a business entity but a confluence where local agriculture, sustainable practices, and the creation of a uniquely Hawaiian beverage intermingle, contributing to a sustained local agricultural practice and a distilled, bottled experience of Hawaii’s indigenous flora.

Nani Moon Mead Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – Cozy Bowl

In Kaua’i, Hawaii, Cozy Bowl Noodles garners attention with its distinctive approach to noodle-making, particularly through the unconventional use of ‘ulu (breadfruit) as a primary ingredient. Spearheaded by Dominique Chambers, a former pastry chef turned entrepreneur, Cozy Bowl Noodles not only provides a varied selection of distinct noodle types such as Rigatoni, Lumache, and Mafaldine but also ventures into home goods and special offerings like ‘Ulu Ramen and options for customers to donate an ‘Ulu Tree.

“Ulu is so versatile,” shared Chambers during a feature by Kauai TV, hosted by Amanda Smith. Elaborating on the choice of using ulu as a staple in her pasta creations, she explained that depending on whether the breadfruit is “really starchy or very ripe,” it can be utilized variably to “alter the recipe of [her] pasta dough to achieve a different consistency,” thereby providing opportunities to craft noodles that could range from “more stretchy” to “more chewy.”

A compelling transition from her pastry chef days, where Chambers confessed she fed people “copious amounts of sugar,” her venture into nutritious, sustainable food production through Cozy Bowl Noodles reflects a conscientious effort toward healthier culinary offerings. Chambers appreciates the nutrient-dense profile of ulu, stating it is “filled with all the vitamins and minerals that a person needs to survive.” She sees merit in producing a product that not only serves as a culinary delight but also as a potential sustenance in times of scarcity.

Her offerings during the TV feature included not only the classic rigatoni but also adventurous blends such as “moringa and Okinawa spinach trigatone” and “ulu rigatoni with a kabuka squash dressing,” accompanied by a colorful array of ingredients like eggfruits, napa cabbage, kale, Ali’i mushrooms from the Big Island, daikon, and a touch of pickled onion as well as fennel. The resultant product, as tasted by host Amanda Smith, is described as “very fresh” and “easy to eat,” with a note of appreciation for the “lots of flavor” and a subtle “hint of that squash” towards the end.

While the culinary efforts and innovative approaches toward sustainable and nutrient-conscious food production by Cozy Bowl Noodles is worth noting, particularly with its use of a local staple like ulu. This niche approach to noodle-making, marrying tradition with innovation, not only underscores a potential avenue for the utilization of local ingredients in varied culinary preparations but also implicitly champions a move toward conscious, sustainable culinary practices within the locale.

Cozy Bowl Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – Kōloa Mill Ice Cream & Coffee

For nearly 12 years, Koloa Mill Ice Cream & Coffee, located in the quaint setting of Old Koloa Town, Kauai, Hawaii, has quietly offered a myriad of sweet and savory offerings to its patrons, an approach that gives a nod to both local flavors and locally-produced ingredients. The establishment serves not merely as an ice cream and coffee shop but evolves into a space providing a wide assortment of culinary delights.

In a discussion with Amanda Smith of Kauai TV, Martin, a representative of Koloa Mill, said succinctly, “we serve ice cream, shave ice, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches.” He also noted the specific intent behind the selection of their ice cream brand, “The ice cream we serve is Roselani brand, made on Maui since 1932, and it was really important for us to have a Hawaii product here to serve.”

This emphasis on local produce also permeates through to their coffee offerings, steadfastly utilizing Kauai Coffee, known for its distinct and flavorful profile, embodying the essence of the locale from where it originates.

Regarding their ice cream, Martin noted the particular popularity of one flavor, stating, “Our number one flavor, four times more popular than the next, is Kona Mud Pie.” The inclusiveness in their dessert menu is also seen in the availability of Dole Whip, a non-dairy soft serve, that, while most recognized in its pineapple iteration, is available in several other flavors.

The shave ice at Koloa Mill, well-appreciated for its fine and fluffy texture, is crafted meticulously from a frozen block, shaved to create a light and enjoyable consistency. Martin provided an amusing observation regarding the younger clientele, sharing, “It’s funny because with the ice cream and with the shave ice, when the young kids come to order, they order by color, not by flavor. ‘Mom, can I have blue? Mom, I’d like to have red.'”

Koloa Mill’s endeavor to provide hearty breakfast options, such as breakfast sandwiches, contributes to offering a well-rounded start to the day for locals and visitors alike. Regarding their relatively new breakfast offering, which has only been a part of their menu for roughly a year, Martin emphasized its freshness and depth of flavor, stating that each sandwich is “made fresh to order” and available in variants such as ham, turkey, bacon, or Hawaiian pineapple sausage.

When asked about the breakfast sandwich, Amanda Smith commented on the flavors, identifying, “maple and sage in there,” further affirming the depth and complexity brought to seemingly simple menu items.

Undoubtedly, Koloa Mill Ice Cream & Coffee’s subtle commitment to providing high-quality, locally-sourced products, from the premium Roselani Ice Cream to the savory breakfast sandwiches, stands out. Their offerings extend from the classically sweet to the robustly savory, ensuring a comprehensive palate experience without ostentation, but with a quiet dedication to quality and the community they serve.

Kōloa Mill Ice Cream Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – JJ’s Cold Brew

JJ’s Cold Brew, nestled in Princeville, Hawaii, carves a niche in the community with its unique, meticulously prepared cold brew coffee. While JJ’s Cold Brew has made strides in hosting tastings and pop-up events, such as those at Timbers Kauai, and aligns itself with nonprofits like Kauaifoodhub, its tangible customer experiences and explicit feedback remain slightly obscured, requiring an in-depth probe into their actual offerings and on-site customer interactions.

In a detailed exploration presented by Amanda Smith on Kaua‘i TV, Jenny and James of JJ’s Cold Brew unravel the careful artistry behind their recognized cold brew coffee. “Cold brew is basically a process where you steep the grounds and brew it like tea for 12 hours, and we do it at room temperature,” Jenny explains, emphasizing the deliberate, slow brewing process aimed at reducing acidity, a characteristic the company esteems. This detailed method results in a coffee described as “extremely smooth” and that is notably “better for your stomach.”

Their collaboration with Outpost Coffee not only brings forth a blend of Kona and Peru but also taps into a network of global farmers with an affinity for “mostly organic and fair trade” practices. Their commitment to ethical sourcing is palpable as they ally with suppliers who adhere to transparent and conscientious sourcing norms.

Moreover, the introduction of their signature blend, specifically Tamarind Cane Sugar Cacao Dipped with Coconut, into the market pivots around a refreshing blend that navigates between the rich, smooth taste of their cold brew and the exotic, flavorful notes of other ingredients. As Smith remarked during the tasting, “It’s nice because you have that tamarind flavor and coconut. It’s almost like a Mexican cocktail but with no alcohol, of course.”

Their delivery in large growlers not only supports prolonged enjoyment throughout the day but also offers a versatile option for entertaining guests, as James revealed: “People come back all the time like, ‘Wow, that was really good.’ So we’re super excited about this direction moving forward. We might have more surprises to come.”

While JJ’s Cold Brew looks toward future expansion and refinements in their offerings, their present positioning offers a singular coffee experience that melds smoothness with sustainability, robust flavor with refreshing, exotic infusions, and deliberate craft with a connection to global, ethical sourcing practices. Furthermore, their trajectory indicates a potential unfolding of further innovative and pleasurable coffee experiences, which have been received with positive responses, albeit rooted in conscientious and sustainable practices.

JJ’s Cold Brew Facebook

Sustainable You Hawaii – Saenz ʻOhana Breakfast

Nestled in Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii, Saenz Ohana Breakfast & Catering Trailer has garnered attention not only as a breakfast locale but also as a symbol of community and culinary authenticity. Operated by Chef Juan Saenz and his wife Noelle, this mobile culinary venture prioritizes both community welfare and genuine, fresh, culinary creations.

Chef Juan Saenz, whose background involves “a rich culinary history in various notable Kauai restaurants,” embarked on a journey from being employed in kitchens to spearheading his own venture. Saenz confided that “every day is busy, but we love it.” Within the framework of his trailer, there exists a dedicated approach to crafting breakfast items where every component, from the basic ingredients to the final presentation, is manipulated with meticulous precision and attention to detail.

One dish that stands out from Saenz Ohana’s menu is the Eggs Benedict with Kalua Pig. Chef Saenz articulates, “We do everything from scratch on that – the muffin, the sauce.” Moreover, patrons and visitors have complimented the dish, reaffirming that it is “one of the best-tasting Benedicts around” and vocalizing the joy it brings them, something that Saenz noted was “so awesome” to hear. Such acknowledgments align with the deliberate and careful methodology inherent in the preparation of each menu item, illustrating an adherence to culinary excellence.

Another distinct offering is their French Toast, crafted with purple taro bread and seasoned with a special blend of spices. Saenz expounded on the bread used, remarking that it is made by Deli & Bread and combines a sweet bread with taro, resulting in its unique purple hue. Additionally, the seasoning involves “cinnamon and five Chinese [spices]” along with vanilla, producing a nuanced flavor profile that’s been deemed “explosive” by those who’ve indulged in it.

Beyond the culinary aspect, Saenz Ohana has instilled a unique initiative that allows patrons to interweave their dining experience with community support. Named the “Pay It Forward” board, this initiative, as Saenz detailed, provides customers with the ability to “leave a ticket not just for a specific person but for anybody and anyone.” The ticket, which can be redeemed for any item on their menu, embodies a tangential gesture of kindness and community support, allowing individuals in need to access a meal with “no questions asked.”

Reactions from those who have dined at Saenz Ohana reflect an appreciation that extends beyond monetary gratuity. Saenz conveyed that receiving messages from people post-visit “means so much to me more than any tip would do,” indicating an emotional and communal connection established through their culinary offerings and communal initiatives.

Thankfulness was a recurrent theme in Saenz’s dialogue, from appreciating his wife to expressing gratitude towards visitors and locals alike. His parting words in the provided transcript were no exception: “Thank you to my wife, thank you Littles for joining us, thank you guys for coming, yeah, and we hope to see everybody out here. Saenz ʻOhana, thank you guys. Aloha, have a great day.”

Despite its physical transience as a mobile catering trailer, Saenz Ohana asserts a firm presence in Princeville, curating not only a menu of meticulously crafted breakfast items but also fostering a spirit of community and shared experience among its patrons, local residents, and visitors alike. This dual embodiment of culinary and communal dedication propels Saenz Ohana into a unique realm where dining transcends a mere transaction and instead, coalesces into an act that nurtures both physical and communal well-being.

Saenz ʻOhana Breakfast Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – Tiny Isles

Situated on the lush landscape of Kaua‘i, Hawaii, Tiny Isle has carved a space for itself in the market of sweet products, with a particular emphasis on fudges, truffles, and macadamia nut butters. Originating with a focus on fudge, Roland from Tiny Isle shared, “It all started with the fudge that spun off to what we call truffles. It’s a chocolate confection,” going on to explain that local ingredients are utilized to flavor these creations.

A notable example of their product is the vanilla mochaccino, which melds coffee-infused chocolate with white chocolate, underpinned by their in-house vanilla. Roland provides a succinct overview: “It’s called vanilla mochaccino, and it’s coffee-flavored chocolate and white chocolate vanilla on the top, using our own vanilla, of course.” The host of the video, Amanda Smith, responds positively to the taste, noting the evident layers of flavors: “Ooh, definitely tastes like chocolate and coffee, and at the end, I get a little hint of that vanilla.”

The business also takes particular pride in their macadamia nut butter. Detailing the production process, Roland explains, “We take locally grown macadamia nuts, grind that into a paste.” Delving further into the manufacturing details, he introduces viewers to the “steel plate grinding” technique which distinguishes Tiny Isle’s macadamia nut butter. Roland outlines the approach as one in which “two steel plates [are] right next to each other, and one of them is spinning,” identifying it as an optimal method to ensure “a low-temperature, high-speed grind.”

A variety of iterations of the nut butter are available, including raw, raw with Kaua‘i honey, toasted, chocolate, and honey vanilla. Describing the honey vanilla variant, Roland elucidates it has “a lot less honey in it, so it’s really nutty. So you got a little bit of honey and then the vanilla which smooths it all out.” Similarly, the chocolate version is described as “toasted mac nut butter with chocolate and agave nectar,” providing a “sweet” tasting profile, according to Amanda.

Moreover, the business demonstrates a notable commitment to utilizing local ingredients in their products, bolstering the community and indigenous agricultural pursuits. This adherence to locally-sourced ingredients not only underscores a commitment to quality but also weaves a narrative of community support and sustainability.

In sum, Tiny Isle emerges not merely as a confectionary business but as an entity that intertwines local agriculture, specific and careful crafting processes, and the innovative use of indigenous ingredients to forge its products. Roland encapsulates this ethos toward the end of the conversation with Amanda, affirming the distinctive and high-quality nature of their offerings: “It’s just really beautiful products, right?”

It’s evident that Tiny Isle, through the mindful melding of local resources and a meticulous crafting process, is not merely curating a range of sweet products but also embedding within them a taste of Kaua‘i’s unique landscape and community spirit.

Tiny Isle Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – Kaua‘i Humane Society Field-Trip Program

The Kauai Humane Society (KHS), located in Lihue, Hawaii, undertakes a multitude of initiatives aimed at fostering ethical treatment and well-being of animals. Not confined solely to advocacy, the society extends its reach through services and programs such as sheltering, adoption, educational endeavors, and advocating for policies conducive to animal welfare. Their field services involve rescuing animals in distress, conducting cruelty investigations, and enforcing animal-related laws, among other activities.

In a segment featured on Kaua‘i TV, Amanda Smith, engages with Nicole Schaefer Crane, the Executive Director of KHS, providing a lens into the day-to-day operations and several pivotal programs of the society. Schaefer Crane conveys, “We promote adoptions and transfers and foster programs, but beyond that, we also offer quite a few community services.” One such community service that has garnered attention is the Field Trip Program.

Elaborating on the Field Trip Program, Schaefer Crane explains, “You can call or go onto our website and arrange to have an animal for the day. So you’ll pick up between probably 10 and noon, and as long as you return them by five, you can have them for that whole time frame.” The program allows individuals to spend a day with a shelter dog, offering both canine and human a respite and a day of varied activities. Winchester, an eight-year-old dog available for adoption at the time of filming, is showcased during a hiking trip with Smith, illustrating a tangible depiction of the program in action.

In the realm of exploring safe locations for these field trips with the dogs, several options are presented: “There’s hiking in Sleeping Giant, there’s doing the bike pathway which goes all along the coast, which is absolutely beautiful. There’s Shipwrecks, which is really nice,” informs Schaefer Crane. Importantly, while engaging in these activities, the dogs wear a distinct vest, signaling to the public that they are available for adoption, as Schaefer Crane outlines: “…they have a great little vest that they wear that lets people know that they are available for adoption while they’re out roaming the island with you.”

The sustenance of such programs and the overall functioning of KHS is significantly tethered to community and external support. Various avenues for support and donation are available, one of which Schaefer Crane explicates as follows: “There’s lots of ways that you can give, and a big one that I really like is the sponsor kennel. So that dog that you just spent the whole day with, you can sponsor his kennel while it’s here until the point where he gets adopted, and we’ll send you updates to let you know how they’re doing and let you know about their happy ending when they find their forever home.”

This snapshot into the operational and engagement aspects of KHS, through the lens of a television segment, illuminates the society’s multifaceted approach towards animal welfare and community involvement. Integrating programs such as the Field Trip Program with avenues for tangible support, KHS situates itself as a pivotal entity in navigating the intersection of animal welfare, community engagement, and advocacy within its locale.

Kaua‘i Humane Society Website | Facebook | Instagram

Sustainable You Hawaii – Kaua‘i Gourmet Nuts

Kauai Gourmet Nuts, nestled in Kauai, Hawaii, articulates a commitment to the nuanced and careful creation of diverse nut products. The business emphasizes the incorporation of local ingredients to forge a distinct snacking option for both residents and visitors alike. Originating from a series of flavored macadamia nuts, mixed nuts, and nut butters, the company intertwines traditional and innovative culinary methodologies, with locally-sourced ingredients such as Kauai honey marking a pronounced presence in their offerings.

Billy Carter, the founder and nut roaster at Kauai Gourmet Nuts, conveyed a fragment of his journey and process in nut roasting during a conversation with Amanda Smith from Sustainable You Hawaii, stating, “I’ve been doing nut roasting for about seven years, and three years ago, I decided it was time to start my own company.” Carter’s approach involves a conscientious relationship with local farms, as he mentioned, “I try as hard as I can to get all Kauai-grown macadamias,” revealing a dedication to local produce and businesses. In a notable example of the company’s product, the Salted Toffee Macadamias were described as “really delicious” by Carter, who perceives them as the brand’s flagship nut product.

An element of technical specificity emerges in the nut preparation process, considering the macadamia’s distinctive characteristic as the hardest shell in the world, requiring “400 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack,” as Carter explained. The intricacies of the roasting process involve utilizing a Bavarian nut glazer, colloquially referred to by Carter as “Mandelprofi,” which not only glazes the nuts but also serves as an olfactory signal to the locality. Carter shares, “When I cook the nuts and put the steam in at the end, that smoke will go out into the neighborhood, and we’ll just draw customers in.” The machine and its aromas become an inadvertent marketing tool, coaxing potential patrons with the wafting scents of the roasting process.

In dialogue about their butterscotch usage, Carter shared a preference for a known brand, saying, “There’s a name brand one I love using, Werther’s Originals. It just has a great flavor.” Such a choice outlines an inclination towards utilizing recognized brands, potentially speaking to an adherence to quality and a known flavor profile within their products. Furthermore, the experience at Kauai Gourmet Nuts is not merely transactional. Carter described an inviting environment where customers can sample products, stating, “We have a display table with all of our nuts, and if something looks good, you just come ask us for a sample, and we’ll give it to you for free.”

Moreover, the company explores innovations within their product range. For instance, the confectionary nut butters are described by Smith as having a “gingery” taste, and they are seen to be like “a peanut butter but sweetened.” The diversification of products and flavors, from the Salted Toffee Macadamias to a pecan and macadamia blend labeled “coconut coffee,” illustrates an explorative approach to culinary creation.

In this way, Kauai Gourmet Nuts establishes itself as a business that, while rooted in traditional and localized ingredient sourcing, ventures into innovative culinary realms, weaving a narrative that melds the local Kauai flavors with Carter’s seven-year exploration into the art and science of nut roasting.

Kaua‘i Gourmet Nuts Website | Facebook | Instagram

From SustainableYouHawaii.com: "sustainable food chef Amanda Smith used her multi-platform career to inspire kids and families how to cook with sustainable foods grown on the Hawaiian islands.