(Photos by Soleil Fitz-Gerald | Hawaii 24/7 Student Photographer)
Hawaii 24/7 Staff
Culinary entries from Maui and the Big Isle were tapped winners at Saturday night’s Big Island Chocolate Festival gala. A sold-Âout crowd of 600 attendees sprawled inside and out of the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel for the fifth annual fundraiser.
“Lavalicious: ÂA Chocolate Salute to the 100th Birthday of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park†was the festival theme and the event gala sported booths decorated with sugary lava, chocolate volcanoes, orchids and faux flames.
The culinary station by Sweet Eatz was judged “Best Decorated†by HVNP’s Cindy Orlando, park superintendent and Jessica Ferracane, park public affairs specialist.
Chefs, chocolatiers and college students were critiqued on taste, texture, appearance and creativity by a team of celebrity judges at competitions during the two-Âday festival.
Winning the most culinary awards was Hilton Waikoloa Village led by Chef Dayne Tanabe for Best Savory and Chef Anna Hohenberger for Best Bonbon.
The Hilton team also tied with Four Seasons Resort Hualalai for Best Sweet People’s Choice by Hilton Chef Eddie Enojardo and Hualalai’s Kalani Garcia.
Earning Best Plated Dessert was the Keolu Bake Shop at Hualalai Resort and Huggo’s took home People’s Choice Savory.
Other accolades were won by Madre Chocolate for Best BeanÂ-to-ÂBar, Nine Fine Mynahs Farm for Best Cacao and Likao Kula for Best Criollo Bean.
The student team of Yi Song and Diana Maciel Hernandez of the University of Hawaii Maui College took first place in the Friday student competition.
Taking second place was Jolynn Len and Stella Rainville of Hawaii Community College-ÂPalamanui while third place went to Alicia Alcain and Tomi Salinger of Hawaii Community CollegeÂ-Palamanui.
“Students performed at a really high level and we’re hoping to have more participation throughout the UH culinary programs next year,†said Teresa “Cheech†Shurilla, program coordinator for UHÂMaui College. “We want to make it viable for all the schools to come and compete.â€
Heading the team of chef judges for the two competitions were Donald Wressell of Guittard Chocolate Company, Derek Poirier of Valrohna Chocolate, Elizabeth McDonald of B3 a Beach Bunny Bakery, Ricky DeBoer of The Fairmont, Kea Lani; Steven Arakaki of Kukio Resort, Douglas Paul of Sodexo UHÂMaui College, Pam Williams of Ecole Chocolat, Jacques Dahan of Michel Cluizel, Lincoln Carson, Yoshikazu Kizu of Rita Carlton Kapuala, Krista Garcia of UHÂMaui College and Shurilla.
The real winners of the annual festival are two beneficiaries: the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Assn./University of Hawaii endowment fund for the culinary program at Hawaii Community CollegeÂPalamanui and programs at Kona Pacific Public Charter School in Kealakekua.

Presented by the Kona Cacao Association, the Big Island Chocolate Festival not only heralds Hawaii’s growing cacao industry, but also the culinarians who masterfully create foods featuring chocolate.
In addition to last night’s gala, the festival offered a full lineup of chocolate decadence from planting to plating: a Kona cacao farm tour, plus growing and processing seminars and howÂto culinary demonstrations by chocolate industry experts.
The Big Island Chocolate Festival is presented by the Kona Cacao Association, Inc. The mission and goal of KCA is to promote the cacao industry on the Big Island of Hawaii by presenting BICF as an educational and outreach opportunity for local cacao farmers, the hospitality industry and cacao enthusiasts.
Mahalo to 2016 event sponsors Prova, Michel Cluizel, Republica Del Cacao, Valrohna USA, LUVA Real EstateÂLance Owens, Kona Auto Center, Dolphin Journeys, Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory, Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, Amoretti, Barry Callebaut USA, Kokua Roofing, DHX, Cocoa Outlet, Kona Brewing Company, Young’s Market, The Wave 92 FM and Dole/Wailua Chocolate.
— Find out more:
www.bigislandchocolatefestival.com
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