Don’t Miss our Cacao Seminars, Culinary Demos and more!

Learn Cacao Farming Techniques, How to Create Chocolate Confections, and Enjoy a Unique Cacao Farm Walking Tour

Cacao Plantation Tour

Thursday, April 27 from 10-11 am -Offsite on a farm

Honoka'a Chocolate Company farm & chocolate factory tour will be held at the plantation located off the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i at Kahi Ola Mau Farm. The custom tour for our event will be on Thursday, April 27.

Would you believe that chocolate grows on trees? Begin with a cacao farm tour first then move to the newly opened Chocolate Factory to taste the locally made chocolate. It’s a beautifully scenic 30-minute easy walking tour of the orchard and then a short drive to the factory. There will be samples of different types of chocolate. Learn about every step in the chocolate making process, from growing the trees to molding each handmade, delicious bar. Afterwards, visit the Chocolate Shoppe to see the range of final products.

Learn more. Investment is $55 per person with ALL proceeds benefiting the charities of the Festival. Address:

Kahi Ola Mau Farm, LLC - home of Honoka'a Chocolate Co

45-3584 Old Mamalahoa Highway

Honoka'a, HI 96727

Cacao Farm Seminars and Chocolate Culinary Demonstrations

Friday, April 28, 2023 - 1-5 pm

Tickets for this go on sale in March 2023

Farm Education Speakers are still being finalized

1 p - 2 p - TBD

TBD

2:15p - 3 p TBD

TBD

3:30 p - 4:30 p The Importance of Proper Tempering “Your Quality of Chocolate Depends on it"

Stéphane Tréand MOF, and owner of The Pastry School, is a 40+ year veteran of the food industry

The prestigious Pastry School offers tips on how to temper chocolate

Saturday, April 29, 2023 Chocolate Demonstrations

10 a - 10:45 am - TBD

BIO

11 a - 11:45 p “TBD”

TBD

12 p - 1 p Demonstration by Stéphane Tréand MOF. Stéphane Tréand MOF of The prestigious Pastry School offers tips on how to temper chocolate and will be completing a beautiful all chocolate showpiece designed to stun party guests or serve as a stunning buffet centerpiece. Tréand’s prestigious Pastry School in California instructs students of all abilities in the pastry and baking arts. The finished creation will be a key feature at the Gala from 6-10 pm.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS and GUEST CHEFS

Stéphane Tréand MOF, and owner of The Pastry School, is a 40+ year veteran of the food industry, Stéphane Tréand’s pastry journey began in Northern France when his father sent him to work at the local bakery. Stéphane held a variety of positions at several bakeries and pastry shops in the Paris area where he learned all of the fundamental basics of French pastry and bakery. In 1989, Stéphane opened his own patisserie tearoom “Pâtisserie Tréand”, located in Brignoles in Provence, South of France. Already a food lover, he focused on the quality products. In 2001 Stéphane sold his patisserie in order to devote more time to teaching and to pursue his lifetime dream of achieving the title of M.O.F., (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) “Best Craftman in France” which he achieved in 2004. The title of M.O.F. is the highest honor given by the President of France to a professional in an individual trade. Stéphane is currently the owner of The Pastry School in Costa Mesa, California where he teaches the art of pastry, confection and more.

Dr. Nat Bletter, co founder and flavormeister of Madre Chocolate, has 15 years of experience in botany, documenting exotic fruits and vegetables, gathering food in the wild, herbal and traditional medicine, and exploring Asia, South America, Central America, and Africa. He has a Ph.D. in Ethnobotany from the City University of New York and New York Botanical Garden, where he researched medicinal plants of Peru, Mali, and the Guatemalan Mayans, ethnobotany, taste-modifying plants, and stimulant plants such as cacao, which has spurred him to start a traditional-ingredient, high-antioxidant, artisinal chocolate company Madre Chocolate. He will co-lead a culinary, medicinal plant, and music tour in Bali where he has spent many months exploring the landscape, music, fruits, food and medicine since 1994. He now works at University of Hawai’i Manoa researching plants and migration in Thailand and Laos, and making chocolate from scratch.

Tiffanie Masutani, CWPC, Kapiolani Community College culinary arts/pastry lecturer.

A native of Hawaii and culinary instructor at KCC since 2009, Chef Masutani has a Bachelor of Applied Science focusing on culinary management with an interest in hands-on classes. A Certified Wellness Program Coordinator (CWPC), Chef is interested in nutrition, food education, event planning and catering.

Joanna Bloese, PhD entomologist, assistant cooperative extension specialist UH-Manoa CTAHR; Dr. Bloese, who works at the Komohana Research and Extension Center at UH-Hilo