HANAPEPE — Vicky Wiik of California needed a minute to compose herself Friday afternoon. “M-m-m-m. This is three ‘m-m-m’s,” Wiik said. “M-m-m. That’s the fourth one. This is just so good.” Wiik was enjoying a chocolate truffle from isola Chocolate
HANAPEPE — Vicky Wiik of California needed a minute to compose herself Friday afternoon.
“M-m-m-m. This is three ‘m-m-m’s,” Wiik said. “M-m-m. That’s the fourth one. This is just so good.”
Wiik was enjoying a chocolate truffle from isola Chocolate when the Kauai Chocolate and Coffee Festival opened Friday afternoon at the Hanapepe Ball Park.
“Is this legal?” Joe Propersi of Lincoln, California wanted to know. “This is so good!”
Mary Baker of California agreed.
“This is fabulous,” the Southern California visitor said. “Having a chocolate event at 5 p.m.? This truffle from isola Chocolate is nice — a good blend between salty and sweet, smooth and yet crunchy.”
The festival continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
Workshops starting with a free Kauai Roastery demonstration at Little Fish Coffee run throughout the day featuring a variety of topics, including coffee cupping, chocolate tempering, and coffee desserts.
A silent auction opens at 10:30 a.m. and runs through 4:45 p.m.
About 50 vendors offer passport holders special pricing on chocolate and coffee items, some even getting free samples like the Lappert’s Ice Cream offering of Dark Chocolate Shortbread Smoked Kokoleka Waialua Chocolate & Berries Gelato, or a Brown Butter Shortbread Poha Berry Ice Cream topped with poha caramel sauce.
“I got my passport online,” said Carol Bain, an instructor at the Kauai Community College. “I was able to read up on it and the passport gets you a bag of samples, special offerings from the participating vendors, and when you consider everything, it was quite reasonable.”
