Seed to Cup Coffee Festival Saturday

By Vanessa Wolf

Photo courtesy Slow Food Maui.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to consume so much caffeine you’ll believe you can fly, then hold onto your jumbo espresso cup, because we’ve got some news for you.

This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Maui Coffee Association will present their 6th Annual Seed to Cup Coffee Festival at the University of Hawaii, Maui Campus.

This is also the bicentennial (i.e. 200 years) of coffee cultivation in Hawaii, and there will be numerous historical displays and demonstrations of coffee processing and brewing methods.

Events kick off at 11 a.m. with a Hawaiian blessing from Kahu Laki Kaahumanu and the start of a silent auction in the Pa’ina Building.

In addition, entries for both savory and sweet coffee dishes will be accepted from 11 a.m. to noon at the Maui Culinary Academy (in the Pāʻina Building at the UH-Maui Campus) as part of a contest sponsored by Slow Food Maui.

At 11:15 a.m. will be a proclamation from the mayor’s office, followed by a performance from slack key masters and 2013 Na Hoku Hanohano award winners Kevin Brown and Sheldon Brown ‘ohana.

At noon, this writer will have her own caffeinated adventure as she will be one of the people judging these coffee-based creations for (good grief) 2.5 hours.

Please don’t poison her.

Coffee recipes will be scored in four areas for a total of 30 points. The use of Maui or Hawaiʻi grown coffee as the main ingredient and taste carry 10 points each, and originality and presentation are worth five points each.

Winners for “Best Savory,” “Best Sweet” and “Best Overall” will be announced at 3 p.m. and prizes include a gift basket valued at $200 for “Best Overall” and gift baskets valued at $150 each for “Best of Savory” and “Best of Sweet.”

For those of you not playing Russian roulette with homemade tiramisu, at 1 p.m. there will be a performance by Zenshin Daiko Drummers followed by 2013 Na Hoku Award Winner 2013 and slack key and ukulele master Benny Uyetake and Kalama School Ukulele Keiki.

Jazz Alley TV Trio will be doing their thing while the recipe contest winners are announced at 3 p.m.

Finally, at 4:30 p.m. the winners of the silent auction items will be revealed.

Throughout the entire day, there will be a Maui Coffee Farmers Market with samples and farmers selling 100% Maui-grown coffee, as well as coffee growing, pulping, roasting, and brewing demonstrations aplenty.

In addition, Maui Culinary Academy will have coffee inspired and infused food for sale.

The menu includes coffee-spiced bison burgers with caramelized onion, lettuce, and spicy tomato jam; sweet potato fries; tiramisu parfait; affogatto; turkey burger sliders  for kids; grilled veggie pizza and local favorites like chow fun.

Methods and techniques that can be used by the backyard coffee grower will be displayed and demonstrated throughout the afternoon and local coffee farmers will be there with roasted coffee beans for sale, alongside hot coffee, iced coffee and granitas.

You’ll be up until 3 a.m. and vibrating like a Nokia Razr.

See ya there.

We welcome your feedback. Please let us know if you hear of any new restaurants opening or reopening, total menu overhauls, or simply know of a hidden treasure you want to share. Have a restaurant you want reviewed (or re-reviewed)? Drop us a line – Vanessa(@mauinow.com)