[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]
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‘Ulupalakua Thing’ Its official name is a mouthful: Maui Agricultural Trade Show & Sampling. Most kamaaina refer to it simply as "The Ulupalakua Thing!" On Saturday more than 6,000 people are expected to pack the grounds of Tedeschi Vineyards at Ulupalakua Ranch in Upcountry Maui to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this popular event, which brings together farmers, chefs, suppliers, manufacturers and consumers from all over the state.
features isle bounty
100 exhibitors will sell and give
samples of their unique waresBy Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Special to the Star-BulletinLocated on the tranquil slopes of Haleakala, 2,000 feet above sea level, Tedeschi provides the perfect setting for showcasing the bounty of the islands. "This time of year, the vibrant purple jacaranda trees are in bloom, and the views down to Kahoolawe and Molokini are spectacular," notes the event's manager, Barbara Santos. "We have been told it is the most beautiful trade show on Earth."
About 100 exhibitors will be selling and offering free samples of their wares, which run the gamut from poi mochi, coconut candy and honey butter to massage oils, handmade soaps and protea wreaths. New products that will be unveiled this year include Kona coffee popcorn; raspberry wine; mango mac nut pancake mix; and cream cheese flavored with apple, banana and curry. Local ranchers also will be on hand to rustle up favorites like beef tomato and teriyaki beef, using their own beef. All vendors are carefully screened, and all items must contain Hawaii-grown ingredients.
"From amateur home chefs to executive chefs, people who enjoy food love the show," said Santos. "Often, products are developed just in time for the show, and attendees get to taste it here first. I see the show as a daylong incubator that has hatched countless new products and marketing relationships over the years. It provides instant feedback on new products and develops consumer loyalty."
This, in fact, is a benefit Santos says event organizers hadn't anticipated. "People who've been to the show look for the products they liked the next time they go shopping," she says. "If those products aren't in the store, they go right to the manager. We've heard time and again that this is how some products were finally accepted into a store."
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Contests at "The Ulupalakua Thing!" are a big part of the fun. There will be floral-arranging competitions for both professionals and amateurs, the latter requiring 10 contestants to create bouquets using identical selections of mixed flowers in 20 minutes.The excitement reaches the level of a championship ball game, with spectators enthusiastically rooting for their friends and family. Says Santos, "Imagine the audience shouting, 'Go, go, go!' at a floral competition! It happens here, and it is absolutely fun for all."
Meanwhile, culinary students, professional chefs, caterers, school cafeteria workers and others who are paid to prepare food will be vying for top honors in the Ultimate Picnic Competition. Last year's winner, a plantation-days picnic by Five Palms Restaurant in Kihei, featured taro and char siu dim sum, an assortment of sushi and musubi, and bite-size pineapple-filled malasadas pierced through sugar cane skewers. The "camp picnic area" was decorated with historic photos of Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese plantation workers; sake cups; a lacquer sushi tray; Edo period fabric; Japanese fans; an old Chinese teapot and stalks of real sugar cane.
Spotlighting six of Maui's acclaimed chefs, the "Ulupalakua Mystery Ingredient Chef's Challenge" will be a high point of the day. The chefs must concoct a gourmet meal using a mystery basket of local ingredients. Ten minutes into the contest, another mystery ingredient will be added to really test the skill and ingenuity of these culinary masters. This year's competitors are James McDonald (Pacific 'O), Mark Ellman (Maui Tacos), Raul Bermudez (Five Palms), Tom Selman (Sansei Kihei), Tylun Pang (Fairmont Kea Lani) and George Gomes (Sarento's on the Beach and Nick's Fishmarket Maui).
What: 10th Annual Maui Agricultural Trade Show & Sampling Maui wows 'em
Where: Tedeschi Vineyards on Highway 37, Upcountry Maui
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Admission: $10 at the gate
Phone: 808-878-1266
Web site: www.MauiAg.org
The Hawaiian Veggie Table Arrangement Competition, launched last year, brings forth an eye-catching collection of centerpieces fashioned from fresh fruits and vegetables. Upcountry resident Debbie Vega's winning entry was a whimsical display of fish, starfish, an octopus and other sea creatures made with radishes, carrots, bananas and Swiss chard.
A steady stream of shoppers always flows through the Farmers Market, a tent brimming with blue-ribbon island produce at reasonable prices. Cooking demonstrations by students in Maui Community College's culinary program will be held here; this year, their featured ingredients are lavender and fennel (recipes for lavender crème brûlée and salmon with fennel will be distributed). The fledgling chefs also will prepare two dishes for sale: buffalo chili and MCC's signature Upcountry Caesar Salad, which tosses cucumbers, zucchini, Maui onions, red bell peppers, won bok, carrots and bean sprouts into the usual mix of romaine, anchovies, garlic, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing.
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"The Ulupalakua Thing!" started in 1993 to introduce and help market Maui's agricultural products to chefs and other buyers. "It was originally intended just for those in the agricultural industry, but the public flocked to the show," Santos said. "We expected 150 attendees the first year and had 1,500 people go through the gates. It has grown by leaps and bounds ever since."The trade show has proven to be a boon for many segments of the community. It gives farmers and manufacturers a quality venue to promote themselves and their merchandise. It inspires development of new agriculturally based products. And, by raising funds for Maui 4-H and Maui Community College's agriculture and culinary arts programs, it encourages Hawaii's youth to pursue careers in the industry.
Last but not least, notes Santos, "This event celebrates the agricultural lifestyle by welcoming attendees into the heart of Maui's Upcountry farming and ranch lands. They get to talk story with the folks who grow the produce and raise the beef. Everyone comes away with an appreciation of what it means to be in agriculture here in the islands."
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer.