WAIKOLOA — A sold-out crowd of 400 attendees sprawled both inside and out of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort &Spa on Saturday for the 10th Big Island Chocolate Festival.
Creations by chefs, chocolatiers and culinary students were critiqued on taste, texture, appearance and creativity by a team of celebrity judges during two days of competitions.
Earning two awards was event newcomer Kona Village Resort, with Chef Helen Hong winning Best Bonbon, and Chef Victor Palma tapped Best Savory in a tie with Chef Daniel Sampson of the Fairmont Orchid.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai earned two awards, with Chef Alyssa Tokumura taking Best Plated Dessert and Chef Kalani Garcia earning Best Decorated Booth.
Those who dazzled the crowd with their creations earned the People’s Choice Awards. Sampson took Best Savory while Hong earned Best Sweet. Waialua Chocolate Factory was tapped Best Bean to Bar and new competitor Mapele Fields of Oahu was named Best Cacao Bean from a field of 11 entries.
“This year’s event was especially rewarding as we could return to our pre-COVID format with multiple culinary booths and more participants using and enjoying chocolate,” said Farsheed Bonakdar, president of the Kona Cacao Association, which puts on the festival.
For Friday’s college culinary competition, six two-person teams from Oahu and Maui had their chocolate creations evaluated by professional chefs.
Earning first place was Kau‘ilani Kekamahilina‘iOkealoha Garso-Steward and Briana Jade Valentin of University of Hawaii-Maui College, while Derin Pascual and Alec Parker of Leeward Community College earned second, and Ciera Lynn Shugart and Angeline Stone of Kapiolani Community College took third.
Chefs judging the various competitions hailed from throughout the state and mainland: James Beard winner and new island resident Vitaly Paley, Michael Moorhouse of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Autograph Collection, Stephane Treand of The Pastry School, Alicia Boada of Felchin, Bruce Trouyet of Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Sean Meyer of Kona Pasta Co. and Richard Polhemus of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.
Proceeds from the festival will benefit Hawaii college culinary programs, Hawaii Institute of Pacific Agriculture, Kona Dance &Performing Arts and Keahole Center for Sustainability.
The mission and goal of the Kona Cacao Association is to promote the cacao industry on the Big Island by presenting the chocolate festival as an educational and outreach opportunity for local cacao farmers, the hospitality industry and cacao enthusiasts.