Slow Food Maui Presents Master Tea Tasting Workshop

Master Tea Tasting Workshop

Meet International Tea Expert David de Candia

As part of its Taste Education Series, Slow Food Maui, in partnership with Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Kahului, presents a Master Tea Tasting Workshop featuring International Tea Expert David de Candia, Director of Tea for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Enterprise. Scheduled Tuesday, March 26, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Pāʻina Culinary Building at the UH-Maui College, this free event will include a tea demonstration, preparation, and tasting. The general public is invited. Due to limited seating, advanced registration suggested. RSVP to [email protected]

David de Candia is the Director of Tea for The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf®, a role that encompasses everything from sourcing and purchasing tea directly from estates around the world to creating the company’s signature tea blends. He also established Coffee Bean’s Caring Cup global initiatives, which supports the building of new schools, health care facilities, and more in the regions from which the company sources tea, including India, Sri Lanka, China, and numerous African countries. He is a member of the Tea Association of America and the Specialty Tea Institute, and is a well-known speaker and judge at a number of tea fairs and expos worldwide, including the World Tea Expo and the Hong Kong Tea Fair. He lives in Ventura, California.

Slow Food Maui Taste Education in partnership with the Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Kahului

Slow Food Maui Taste Education: Breadfruit

Ian Cole, far left, with Riko Bartolome and James Simpliciano who teamed up earlier this month for the Grand Taste Education at Maui County Ag Festival.

Slow Food Maui presents its next Taste Education session featuring breadfruit on Wednesday, April 25, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. As the Collection Manager and Curator for the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden at Kahanu Garden in Hāna and McBryde Garden on Kaua‘i, Cole understands the value of breadfruit as a crop. Established in 2003 to promote the conservation and use of breadfruit for food and reforestation, the Institute manages the largest collection of breadfruit in the world, conserving over 120 varieties from throughout the Pacific. Headed by Diane Ragone, PhD, an internationally recognized expert on breadfruit diversity, conservation, and ethnobotany, the Institute seeks to expand the role of breadfruit in alleviating hunger. After serving in commercial horticulture in Florida and California, a horticulturist by profession, Cole joined the Institute in 2005. We are so pleased that Cole is here to talk about breadfruit and its indisputable, growing role in food security and sustainable agriculture for Maui. Polynesian settlers in Hawai‘i, who came to the Islands as early as 300 AD, brought breadfruit tree cuttings in their canoes for future farms, for food, construction materials and medicine: Today, breadfruit is gaining in importance once more as a model crop for Hawai‘i. 

Hosted at Maui Culinary Academy, fee for members is $15, non-members $20.
Cole will provide breadfruit samples and light refreshments provided by Whole Foods Market Kahului.

Taste Education: Helen Nielsen, Maui Natural Bee

Slow Food Maui Taste Education in partnership with the Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Kahului
With support from the Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Kahului, Slow Food Maui presents Helen Nielsen, Maui Natural Bee, as its featured guest for its Taste Education Series in February. The session will focus on the lives of honeybees and their efficiency, the benefits of consuming local honey and useful ways to use honey in kitchen and bath. A beehive will be on display (no bees) and honey tastings will be shared.

“After considering the plight of honeybees around the world, and the relatively healthy, isolated environment we have in southeast Maui, we started raising bees about three years ago,” said Helen Nielsen, Maui Natural Bee. “We currently have about 35 hives and we are completely energy independent, powering with solar and collecting rainwater.”

Maui Natural Bee provides local artisan honey and Kiawe and Christmas berry honey to the Maui community. The products are available at farmers markets or directly from Maui Natural Bee. To order, contact Helen at bees[at]maui[dot]net.

In addition to Maui Natural Bee, Nielsen is well known for her community work. She is one of the original founders of the Hawaiian Island Land Trust (HILT) and its current board president. As a business owner, Nielsen is active in many of Maui’s community projects, along with her husband Jonathan Starr. She divides her time between Wailuku and her energy-independent home in Kaupo.

Taste Education is a nine-part “food focused” educational series presented by Slow Food Maui in partnership with the Maui Culinary Academy and Whole Foods Market Kahului. Organized to honor people who grow and produce the food we eat, the series brings local food producers in our community to the forefront so others may learn about their work, how their product is made and where to find it.

Date: Wednesday, February 29 (Always Held on the last Wednesday of each month. Mark your calendars!)
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Place: Maui Culinary AcademyUH Maui College, Pa’ina Building310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, Maui, Hawai‘i

Cost:
$15 for Slow Food USA members
$20 for non-members

Seating is limited. Advance reservations and payment are required. Please note that we cannot guarantee participation if payment is not received prior to the event date.

Catering from Soup to Nuts at Taste Education

Chefs Ralph Giles and Daniel Southmayd of Catering from Soup to Nuts and Vineyard Food Company held a fabulous Taste Education session on Planning the Perfect Dinner Party at the Maui Culinary Academy last night. While sharing their vast experience and wisdom from years in the restaurant and catering business, the audience was treated to some amazing appetizers throughout the evening.

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market Maui for providing light refreshments for the session, and to the Maui Culinary Academy for hosting the event.

Bobby Santos Taste Education Poultry Session Photos

Maui culinary legend Bobby Santos presented a great master class in poultry at last night’s Taste Education session at the Maui Culinary Academy.

Taste Education: Poultry with Bobby Santos September 28

Bobby SantosContinuing with its Taste Education Series, Slow Food Maui presents its eighth session: Poultry with Bobby Santos. Here is an opportunity to learn all there is to know about poultry, which is defined as:

  1. Domestic fowl in general, for example, chickens, turkeys, ducks, or geese, raised for meat or eggs
  2. 2. The meat of domestic fowl such as chickens and ducks.

Retired Maui Culinary Academy Chef Instructor Bobby Santos returns to the classroom to share his knowledge of raising chickens and other domestic fowl. Having grown up with chickens, ducks and pigeons, Santos knows, first-hand, how to care and raise domestic poultry. He is also an expert in poultry fabrication (butchering) and a practitioner of traditional food practices and culture.

Held on the last Wednesday of each month, the September session will take place on Wednesday, September 28, with a new format and schedule (see below). As always, the session will be held on the second floor in the Pāʻina Building, home of the Maui Culinary Academy.

Advanced registration and payment is required prior to September 28th. Contact Slow Food Maui to register.

5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Part One: Introduction to poultry breeds and raising and caring for poultry. Presenter will share techniques and demonstrate steps to slaughter home grown poultry. Attendees in part one must attend part two. Cost: $20 members / $25 non-members. Limited to 20 people.

6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Part Two: Introduction to chicken poultry and fabrication. Attendee will learn the parts of the chicken and the presenter will offer cooking tips. Attendees will taste Maui- raised chicken paired with Grown on Maui salad. Cost: $15. Maximum 45 people (includes 20 from part one).

Whole Foods Market Maui will provide Grown on Maui salad to complement the chicken sample prepared by Bobby Santos. Whole Foods Market Maui has been a proud sponsor of the Slow Food Maui Taste Education Series since the series began in February 2011.

The final session in the 2011 series is scheduled on Wednesday, October 26th. Ralph Giles and Daniel J Southmayd, owners of Catering From Soup to Nuts, will walk guests through planning the perfect dinner party. These catering experts provide practical advice from meal planning and cooking to table settings and hosting etiquette and more.

Photos from “Got Fish” Taste Education with Don Wakamatsu of Whole Foods Market Kahului

Ahi poke made by Don Wakamatsu at the "Got Fish" Taste Education session at Maui Culinary Academy.We were treated to a great educational experience last night as veteran fisherman and fishmonger Don Wakamatsu of Whole Foods Market Kahului shared his expertise by taking apart a whole ahi and showing us how every cut could be used so that nothing would be wasted. He then proceeded to show us how to make three kinds of poke, which we all got to taste.

A big mahalo to Don and the folks at Whole Foods for letting us borrow him for the evening.

Taste Education Session – Got Fish – Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Whole Foods LogoSlow Food Maui’s next taste education session celebrates Maui’s love affair with fresh fish and poke. Presenter Don Wakamatsu of Whole Foods Market Kahului comes from a long line of fishermen and fishmongers. His family once owned Wakamatsu Market, located on Market Street in Wailuku.

Wakamatsu will give a presentation on Whole Foods Market’s sustainable fish program, and explain how to select, clean, and cut whole fish and filets. He will also make poke and offer samples.

Date: Wednesday, August 31
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Place: Maui Culinary AcademyUH Maui College, Pa’ina Building310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, Maui, Hawai‘i
Cost: $15

EVENT SOLD OUT

 

Remaining 2011 Taste Education Sessions:
Wednesday, September 28 – Retired Maui Culinary Academy Chef Instructor Bobby Santos returns to the classroom to share his knowledge of raising poultry chickens. Having grown up with livestock his parents and grandparents raised and prepared fresh, he continues this food tradition.

Wednesday, October 26 – Ralph Giles and Daniel J Southmayd, owners of Catering From Soup to Nuts, walk everyone through planning the perfect dinner party. These catering experts provide practical advice from meal planning and cooking to table settings and hosting etiquette and more.

Beef and Blooms @SlowFoodMaui #MauiBeef Taste Education Event on Flickr

We had a great event last night at the Maui Culinary Academy with the Jacintho family of Beef and Blooms. Very enlightening and educational, and fabulous beef!

Slow Food Maui Presents “Where’s the Beef?” with William Jacintho and Family of Beef and Blooms on Wednesday, June 29

Beef and Blooms - Hawaii's First Certified Organic Ranch

Beef and Blooms - Hawaii's First Certified Organic Ranch

Continuing with its Taste Education Series, Slow Food Maui presents its fifth session: “Where’s the beef?” Here’s an opportunity to learn all there is to know about organic, grass-fed beef on Maui with William Jacintho of Beef and Blooms, Hawaiʻi’s first certified organic ranch. The Jacintho family will share their knowledge of raising cattle and how best to prepare local, grass-fed beef products.

Four generations ago, Manual Jacintho worked as a mason, saved his earnings, and purchased small properties in the Kula area. He started a part-time Black Angus ranch to feed his family, and supplement the family income. The healthy grass growing on the pastures’ naturally rich soil, kept a healthy breed of cattle thriving. He raised his animals without the use of hormones, antibiotics, or artificial stimulants. This tradition has been kept in the family for four generations. Today, the tradition of the family farm provides island residents an choice of Certified Organic Beef that is produced in the healthy way beef is intended. Today, the ranch raises Angus, Brangus, and Wagyu.

Date: Wednesday, June 29
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m. HST
Maui Culinary Academy logoPlace: Maui Culinary AcademyUH Maui College, Pa’ina Building310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, Maui, Hawai‘i
Cost: $15

Taste Education Series Events

Reservations are required and payment is due prior to June 29th. Limited participation.

Contact us to make reservations ->

Whole Foods Market Maui provides supplementary ingredients for the Slow Food Maui Taste Education Series.

See our entire Taste Education schedule ->

Chocolate Tasting with Melanie Boudar of Sweet Paradise Chocolatier, May 25

Melanie Boudar, Sweet Paradise ChocolatierContinuing with its Taste Education Series, Slow Food Maui presents its fourth session: Chocolate tasting with Melanie Boudar of Sweet Paradise Chocolatier. In this session, Boudar will share her knowledge and love of chocolate. She will begin with the origins of chocolate and cover how chocolate is made from bean to bar then move into evaluating chocolate and what’s happening in Hawaiʻi’s Cacao Industry. The session will end with tasting chocolate from various origins including Hawai’i grown chocolate. In addition to her own, Boudar will offer chocolate from Guittard Chocolate Co. and Dole Plantation’s Waialua Estate.

Date: Wednesday, May 25
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m. HST
Maui Culinary Academy logoPlace: Maui Culinary AcademyUH Maui College, Pa’ina Building310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, Maui, Hawai‘i
Cost: $15

Contact us to make reservations ->

Walk-ins are welcome, however, reservations are highly recommended due to limited seating per session.

See our entire Taste Education schedule ->