At Puna culinary fest, the accent is on farm to fork, Hawaiian-style
The Puna Culinary Festival this month will showcase a bumper crop of locally grown food at this celebration on the eastern side of the Big Island.
The farm-to-fork festival is Sept. 21-28 in and around Pahoa, a town of about 1,000 people 20 miles south of Hilo. This less-visited part of the island is lush with vegetation thanks to the abundant rainfall, which can be 150 inches (or more) a year.
The bounty of activities begins with a kalua pork dinner in which a pig will be cooked in a traditional underground oven. The dinner, which costs $29, will be at the Kalani retreat center.
Other events include a “Consider the Egg” cooking class ($25) on Sept. 22 and a farm tour ($35) on Sept. 25. It includes stops at Hilo Coffee Mill, a coffee plantation with its own roasting facility, and Ginger Ridge Farm, a producer of organic bananas and ginger.
Visitors can sample various island-themed appetizers during the PupuPalooza cooking contest on Sept. 27. Admission is free.
Tickets can be purchased online for the various activities. All-inclusive festival passes cost $175.
Proceeds will benefit Hawaii Island’s Food Bank.
Info: Puna Culinary Festival
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