Tasting Kaua‘i navigates through the culinary terrains of Kauai, Hawaii, through organized food tours in various locales of the island. The firm is aimed at establishing a confluence between guests and Kauai’s food culture while also advocating for local agriculture and food security through promoting local eateries and farms.
In a video exploration of downtown Līhuʻe, hosted by Amanda Smith, and featuring Susan Schwartz from Tasting Kauai, the visual journey orchestrates a food tour encompassing four distinct culinary spots. “This is an amazing food tour of downtown Lihue,” Schwartz shares at the start, indicating that the selected spots are both personal and professional favorites of the Tasting Kauai team. The tour, therefore, offers a peek into the culinary preferences and collaborations of the team.
The tour commences at Aloha Ginger Beer, renowned for crafting non-alcoholic ginger beer utilizing Kauai-sourced ingredients. Schwartz shared, “It’s a non-alcoholic ginger beer that sources their ginger and all their beautiful products from Kauai.” The duo tastes the Pineapple Ginger Beer, with Smith remarking on the subtleness of the pineapple flavor: “It’s not overpowering; it’s just a little hint of that pineapple in that ginger.”
Transitioning to HealthGo Market, the focus shifts to a sampling of a taro burger. “This has a beautiful gluten-free wheat bun with onions and teriyaki sauce,” Schwartz introduces. The burger, utilizing taro from Dave’s Taro, was noted by Smith as a “must-try” and highlighted for its health benefits, cementing it as a staple on the island.
Advancing to Rob’s Good Time Grill, the segment showcases Chef Saber presenting Kauai shrimp wrapped in bacon and accented with pineapple salsa. The dish offers a tableau of local ingredients interwoven with culinary innovation, allowing viewers an intimate view into the chef’s crafted dishes.
The expedition concludes at Kauai Beer Company, identified as a microbrewery that provides a tasting experience of their Līhuʻe Lager, along with alternatives like fresh kombucha for non-alcohol consumers. Smith finds the beer “really light” and appreciates its compatibility with various dishes offered on the menu.
Woven into the culinary exploration is a subtle nod to the historical backdrop that has shaped Kauai’s food culture, from the sugar cane plantation era to the overall rich history of the island. Schwartz highlighted the importance of this context: “One of the things that makes it so special is we do talk about the history of Kauai and Hawaii, what makes our food so diverse.”
In summary, Tasting Kauai’s tours, exemplified by this walk through downtown Līhuʻe, extend beyond mere culinary sampling. They string together a narrative that ties the food to its place of origin, subtly inviting participants to ponder upon the history and culture of Kauai, while savoring flavors born out of the island’s rich tapestry of influences and ingredients. The business, while fundamentally a food tour company, transcends a transactional experience, hoping to offer guests a deeper understanding and connection with Kauai’s culinary and cultural landscape, through curated experiences that are showcased to be both delicious and deeply rooted in the local context.