Kona Coffee Cultural Festival brews up winning recipes

Coffee lovers everywhere awaken their senses with the fresh-brewed aroma of Kona coffee in the morning. Including Kona coffee in food preparation adds a whole new dimension and becomes a platform for chefs and gourmet food enthusiasts.

During Sunday’s KTA Super Stores Recipe Contest, amateurs, professionals, students from Hawaii Community College West Hawaii Culinary Arts program and Konawaena High School polished up their culinary and presentation skills. More than 21 recipe entries were judged on presentation, harmony of ingredients, craftsmanship and design, providing an opportunity for each contestant to present a recipe to the judges that sparks creativity and an appropriate 100 percent Kona coffee theme.

Each entry has a story to tell. College Culinary Student Dessert First Place winner Jessica Lloyd completed in Saturday night’s Miss Kona Coffee Scholarship Pageant and placed first runner up. Nicki MacKenzie traveled to Kona with her husband Jeff from Canada. They won a trip to the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival three years ago with Alaska Airlines and have returned each year since. Her second place baklava was made with white kiawe honey and Kona coffee from Kona Coffee &Tea Co. The MacKenzie family plans to make Kona home at some point.

“When we came here three years ago, it was like we were home. We love this place and the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival,” said Nicki MacKenzie.

“The contestants this year are all benchmarks: scholarship participant, international visitor, instructor from our local college and we just keep getting better each year,” said Claire Robinson, KTA Super Stores Recipe Contest Event Chairwoman. “We really want to thank KTA Super Stores for being such a great long-standing partner in this event.”

Winners captured cash prizes, gift certificates and bragging rights.