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Kona Coffee, Italian Ice, and a Luau

During our trip to the Big Island, we were on a tight budget. Despite rave reviews of helicopter tours, “swimming with the dolphins,” and zodiac boat snorkeling adventures, those activities just weren’t affordable to us. Yet, every day seemed full of adventure, and we never felt that we were “missing out” on anything.

In addition to snorkeling with sea turtles and colorful fish, seeing an erupting volcano, and learning about Hawaiian culture at three national historical parks, one of our favorite “free” activities was our visit to the Hula Daddy Coffee Plantation.

Although I love a good cup of coffee every morning, I had no idea what a coffee tree looked like or how the beans were picked and roasted. Coffee grown in the Kona area in Hawaii is reputed to be some of the best in the world, and I was eager to visit a real coffee farm. While Ben and the kids weren't jumping for joy over the prospect of touring a coffee plantation, they humored me and didn’t complain when I dragged them along on my coffee quest.  (Oh, how I love it when things turn out better than anticipated!)

Hula Daddy is located in the hills above the Kailua-Kona coast. The entrance:

Genevieve, Sebastian and Ben in front of the welcoming center:

When we entered, we noticed a small table with two coffee urns and an invitation to enjoy two varieties of fresh coffee. It was surprisingly smooth. Here I am with the kids and my sample cup:

We then joined about six other people for a tour of the facilities. Vana was our guide, and she put us right at ease with her friendly charm:

Our first stop was the lower-level roasting room, accessed through the backyard.  

Vana showed us coffee beans that had been roasted to various temperatures—the range was a light-greenish bean at 280 degrees, all the way to a dark-brown bean at 480 degrees Fahrenheit.

It was fascinating to see how the bean color changed with every increase in 10 degrees.

The beans are only roasted for about 15 minutes, and slight adjustments (or mishaps) during that short time can drastically change how the coffee turns out. Fortunately, Hula Daddy has an excellent master roaster who ensures consistent standards and tastes.

I generally prefer deep dark roasted coffee, and I was surprised to learn that dark roast has less caffeine than medium or light roast. 

After an overview of the roasting process, Vana took us out into the field of coffee trees:

Hula Daddy planted 10 acres of trees in 2002, and made the first harvest in 2004. All of the beans are hand-picked (by Mexican workers who are come here during the harvest period, July to November). An average tree produces 8 pounds of raw beans, which makes 2 pounds of actual coffee.

Vana showed us a basket that would be used by a picker, and she instructed us on how to find a good coffee berry--look for a nice red color, with no yellow.

Since harvest season was over, the trees didn’t have too many “just right” berries to pick; however, we did find some! Here is Genevieve, making her selection:

This cluster shows a mix of under-ripe (green) and over-ripe (dull maroon) berries.

Vana then demonstrated how to squish each berry to squirt out two beans.

We then put the beans in our mouths to taste the layer of natural sugar that coated each bean.

During the normal production process, the sugar coating would be washed, and the beans would be allowed to dry for one week.

Vana then gave us some dried beans and showed us how to rub them a certain way to get the outer layer to crackle and peel off, revealing a green coffee bean underneath. The beans are then sifted for size, with the larger beans considered better quality than the smaller beans.

Back in the welcoming room, Ben and I shared some more coffee samples, and the children tasted their first chocolate-covered coffee beans. Not too many, please! Six of those tasty morsels have as much caffeine as one cup of coffee!

Hula Daddy has bags of coffee beans and other items for sale, but we felt absolutely no pressure to buy anything.

Here we are in front of Hula Daddy:

Not only did we learn a lot during our short time here, but we all enjoyed the experience. Genevieve and Sebastian both announced that the tour was “a lot of fun!”

Another thing that we did as a family to minimize costs while in Hawaii was to pack picnic lunches for our outings. This was made easier by the small refrigerator in our hotel room. Every few days, we would stock up with supplies from the local grocery store (fresh fruit, yogurt, bread, cheese, chicken, lunch meat etc.).

Being on a budget didn’t mean that we had to forego an occasional treat, however. In the Kailua-Kona area, we had the joy of trying Kiliki’i Italian Ice:

We discovered the shop when a bright green gecko on the outer wall caught our attention:

We stopped to watch the gecko scamper about with its suction-cup feet. Then we noticed the “Italian ice” sign. Inside, we met the owners, Maryann and Jim, who started this business after moving to Hawaii from New Jersey:

Their Italian ices and ice cream are homemade with real fruit and natural ingredients, using original recipes. With one bite, you know that you are eating the “real deal.” We had coconut ice with a scoop of coconut ice cream—not only was the coconut flavor fresh and delicious, but the finely crushed ice was delicately balanced with the silky texture of the ice cream. Yum!

While in Hawaii, we also wanted to try some traditional dishes. After all, part of the fun of visiting new places is trying local foods. While we did try dishes like the “loco moco” (hamburger, rice, and soft-cooked eggs, all smothered in gravy), we decided to splurge on a luau, where we would not only get to taste new dishes, but we would also experience traditional hula and fire dances.

The luau with the best reputation was the one at the Royal Kona Resort, located on a stretch of lava rock that jutted out into the Kailua Bay:

Tables and chairs were set up on a large, open-air patio next to the water:

Upon entering, we received a shell lei greeting, and a photographer took our picture:

(I know that the word “cheesy” is often linked to these types of photos, but we thought this one of our family turned out pretty nice!)

Before dinner, Sebastian passed the time by counting the number of shells in his lei:

A small band provided entertainment while we waited for the feast to begin:

We had front row seats next to the stage. Occasionally, a woman would perform a beautiful and graceful Hawaiian dance:

Near the band was the imu, a traditional pit oven where the pig was being roasted:

As the dinner hour approached, so did the rain clouds. Soon the rain began in full force. The luau staff provided free rain ponchos for everyone. We looked quite festive in our red, blue and yellow colors:

Sebastian took this photo of Ben, Genevieve and I:

The dancers blew conch shells to announce the unearthing of the pig:

First, two men worked to dig away the dirt:

Genevieve and Sebastian had a great view of the action:

Then the men removed a fabric wrap and leaves, to reveal a pig splayed open and (presumably) nicely cooked:

The covered buffet table had quite a variety of food, including a bowl of poi (a traditional dish made from taro root).

The food was fairly good with plenty of vegetables and salad. The pork, however, was very dry, as well as cold, and did not seem to be the same meat that we had just witnessed being dug out of the imu.

The rain continued in earnest during our meal. I don’t think we’ve ever before sat and eaten a meal in the pouring rain, so it was quite an experience. We joked about how it was a good thing we didn’t melt like the Wicked Witch of the West! The rain added an element of “adventure” for the kids.

Genevieve covered her coconut cake with several layers of napkins to keep it from getting too soggy.

The stage was too wet for the dancers, however, so the staff graciously moved all of us to an indoor area for the after-dinner show. The MC (his name sounded like “LoKu”, but I'm not sure) was very engaging and funny, as well as an excellent singer.

The dancers performed a variety of numbers. One was mellow, with fluid movements:

Then came a vibrant number with a whole lotta’ shakin’ goin’ on:

(All those fast-moving hips made quite an impression on Sebastian!)

The dancers were very energetic and their enthusiasm was contagious.

We especially enjoyed the men’s “mosquito dance” in which they slapped themselves in a rhythmic and feisty manner:

The drummers pounded out an electrifying rhythm that resonated within us.

The fire dance was last—a highlight indeed. We all moved back outside to watch the dancer twirl and throw his batons of fire:

We left the luau with light hearts and big smiles—glad to have experienced this last bit of Hawaiian culture before our departure tomorrow. The evening was a wonderful way to say farewell ("aloha") to Hawaii.

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