The Na'alehu Theatre invites you to
8th Annual
Kona Chocolate Festival & Symposium
April 4, 2009
Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa
April 4, 2009
Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa
Download 2008 Entry Form (PDF File)
We are delighted to announce that the Seventh Annual Kona Chocolate Festival will take place on Saturday March 29th, 2008, at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. We invite you to be a part of this gala event. Presented by Na'alehu Theater, the mission of the Kona Chocolate Festival is to offer an event that entertains both visitors to and residents of the Big Island; showcases the creative talents of fine chefs, ice cream & candy makers, and chocolatiers; and highlights cacao farming and the chocolate industry in Hawai'i. In 2007, more that 1,250 visitors and local residents attended the Festival.
The 7th Annual Kona Chocolate Festival will again feature a chocolate taste-off competition with awards in professional and amateur categories. Entries will be judged by selected local professional chefs and other personalities, as well as by attendees through “people's choice” nominations. Savory chocolate creations are encouraged! You are invited to prepare an appetizer, entrée or dessert – as long as it's made with chocolate, of course! We are planning for 1,250 or more attendees again this year.
Last year's Chocolate Symposium was very popular with wine & chocolate buffs, cacao farmers, and other chocolate connoisseurs! We will once again offer day-time educational and informative seminars about cacao cultivation & processing, medicinal uses for chocolate and cooking with chocolate.
The evening gala will also include a silent auction, live music, wine and champagne, and specialty beer. Through the success of the Kona Chocolate Festival, Na'alehu Theater will be able to raise significant funds to support sustainable community based cultural and arts programs with particular focus on care and respect for the people, land and sea of Hawai'i.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or comments. We hope that you will join us for the 7th Annual Kona Chocolate Festival!
Mahalo,
Michael Braun
Director, Kona Chocolate Festival
808-987-8722
Email chefs@konachocolatefestival.com
Each year, the Gala Benefit Evening hosts up to thirty regional Chefs in a chocolate cook-off competition from sweet to savory. We encourage new interpretations in chocolate and highly encourage amateur participation in the taste-off. Professional and amateur chefs, caterers, and chocolatiers are invited to prepare appetizers, entreé or desserts - as long as they are made with chocolate, of course! Savory chocolate creations are encouraged!
Guidelines for judging the chocolate taste-off competition:
In evaluating each dessert, judges are asked to rate each entry individually taking special care to not compare one entry to another entry. Entries are rated in terms of the following:
Once all judges have evaluated the chocolate entries and shared with the others their perspective on each entry, they tally the scores for each entry. If possible, they determine a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner. There may be multiple 1st and 2nd place winners. Ties in placement are acceptable.
We were honored to welcome an exceptional team of judges in 2007:
Congratulations to the 2007 Chocolate Taste-Off Competition Winners:
Mahalo to all the Chefs and crew participating in the 2007 festival. The overall quality of the entries was extremely high - the entrants went all out! A special thanks to Barbara Gerrits for an outstanding job as Judge Facilitator this year.
1st place Savory
O’s Bistro-tamales with mole
Chef, Amy Oda, long time owner and chef at O’s Bistro. Also received a special accommodation for her raw chocolate macaroon, which the judges said was in a category all it’s own.
1st Place Sweet
Melanie Boudar-Sweet Paradise Chocolatier Ltd.-World Flavors Bon-Bons
Melanie is a former diamond buyer who fell in love with chocolates on her monthy trips to Antwerp, Belgium. She is a graduate of Ecole Chocolat of Vacouver Canada and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
2nd Place Sweet
Mauna Lani Resort-Flourless Chocolate Cake w/caramel
Chef Jeff Walters and Joy Muranaka
3rd Place Sweet tie
Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort-Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Jack Daniels,
Executive chef William Kaluakini Trask,
Pastry Chef Head Baker Becky Ford
Nottage Cottage-Sally Nottage Nottage Cottage Toffies
Sally Nottage has been a participant and supporter of the Kona Chocolate Festival for many years, sending chocolate in her absence when necessary!
1st Place Peoples Choice and 1st Place Amateur
Freedom, Colee and Armando-Raw Cacoa Treats
Colee and Armando run the East Side Yoga Shala in Pahoa,
Freedom lives in Kona and loves to cook for parties, etc.
2nd Place in the People’s Choice Category
Ziggy Naggo of the Four Seasons for his Hawaiian Chocolate Trilogy. Ziggy was the Judges Choice 2nd place winner in the sweet category last year at the 2006 Chocolate Festival.