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Hawaii’s Back yard Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi |
HABEIN LIVESTOCK COMPANY
Calm-tempered stock is key to producing quality beef according to Jessica and Rick Habein.
Culinary tour
shares the story
behind the mealMemorable meals don't begin in the kitchen, they begin far afield, on the farms, ranches and orchards that produce top-quality ingredients.
That's the premise of the Hilton Waikoloa Village's annual Big Island Culinary Experience, which this year features tours of the Kona Historical Society's Kona Coffee Living History Farm; Holualoa Kona Coffee Company's Kona Lea Plantation; Habein Livestock Company; and Kailua Candy Company, where delights such as Tropical Truffles filled with Kona coffee and cinnamon, passion fruit and coconut, and guava and rum are handmade daily.
Wilhelm Pirngruber, the resort's executive chef, launched the tours last year to spotlight the Big Island's wealth of culinary sources. "They bring people in contact with the sources of the food they eat," Pirngruber explains. " 'City folk' often are far removed from these sources; the only thing they remember about where their meals come from is the supermarket shelves."
Adds Leanne Pletcher, marketing manager at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, "The tours are educational; they give participants a chance to see up-close where some of the outstanding ingredients for Hawaii regional cuisine come from. The tours show what the Big Island has to offer besides being a resort vacation destination."
On July 18, for example, guests on the Upcountry Chef's Tour will head to Waimea, paniolo country, for a visit to 1,000-acre Habein Livestock Company. There they'll be able to hand-feed tame cattle and learn about the ranch's pasture management program and practice of raising grass-fed cattle.
The excursion concludes with an ono lunch of barbecued beef and lamb prepared on-site by Pirngruber.
Habein Livestock Company's 400 head of cattle and 120 sheep graze in lush open pastures throughout the year; no hormonal implants or antibiotics are used to enhance the animals' growth. Certified by the USDA, this program is monitored by veterinarians and federal meat inspectors to ensure quality. Hawaii Natural Meats, Inc. distributes all-natural pasture-raised beef and lamb from 35 Big Island ranches, including Habein, under the brand name Kamuela Pride.
"Hawaiian grass-fed beef is a product all its own," says Jessica Habein, president of Hawaii Natural Meats. "It has unique flavor attributes and tremendous health benefits."
According to Habein, Kamuela Pride products contain high levels of Vitamin E, beta-carotene, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acid, which supposedly wards off heart disease. They also are a good source of conjugated linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat that has shown promise in preventing and treating cancer. Overall, Kamuela Pride meat has fewer calories and less saturated fat.
"We take a holistic approach to ranch management," says Habein, whose husband, Rick, is the owner and manager of Habein Livestock Company. "Everything on our ranch starts with the vitality of the soil; it is truly the foundation of our land and animal stewardship program. Just as there is a world under the sea, below and amongst the roots of our pastures is a world of microbial flora and fauna that requires nurturing to flourish. A rich soil environment allows pasture plants to also thrive, which, in turn, provides the basis for livestock to maintain optimum health."
IN 1992, Habein Livestock Company began direct marketing of its beef and lamb. "At the time," says Habein, "beef was a declining commodity; it was the victim of negative press and thumbs-down from the health conscious. Because of the industrialization of the beef industry, ranchers had become very disconnected with consumers; therefore, we had no way of knowing exactly why people were shying away from red meat."
During the past 11 years, the Habeins have worked hard to reestablish ties with their customers.
"Starting in our hometown grocery store, we handed out samples and talked to the people in our community about their feelings regarding meat," says Habein. "What we learned is that they enjoyed eating meat, but they had a great deal of concern about chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, the environment and animal welfare."
Armed with this information, they created a stewardship program that allowed them to produce a wholesome, tasty product while handling livestock humanely and managing the land with conservation and education in mind. The Habeins conduct free 90-minute tours of their ranch for school groups and wholesale customers, including chefs and supermarket meat department managers. They're considering expanding their reach to the general public in the future.
"Viewing our operation holistically means no one element is separate, including the consumer," says Habein. "This is why we incorporate ranch tours into our routine. We think it's really important for people to have a connection with the place their food comes from. What is experienced here cannot be duplicated by reading a brochure."
Big Island Culinary Experience
Place: Various venues, including the Hilton Waikoloa VillageDates: July 17 to 21
Phone: (808) 886-1234; ask for restaurant reservations
Tour Prices: $125 per person for the July 18 Upcountry Chef's Tour and the July 19 Kona Coffee Plantation Tour and Chocolate Demonstration, including transportation from the resort. Deadline for reservations is July 16.
Package price: $1,100 per person, including the tours, dining experiences and a spa treatment. Accommodations are extra (kamaaina receive a special rate of $169 per night). Meals may be purchased separately, but tax and tip will be added.
E-mail: info@HiltonWaikoloaVillage.com
Web sites:
>> Hilton Waikoloa Village: www.HiltonWaikoloaVillage.com
>> Hawaii Natural Meats: www.kamuelapride.com
>> Kona Historical Society's Kona Coffee Living History Farm:
www.khs@konahistorical.org
>> Holualoa Coffee Farm: www.konalea.com
>> Kailua Candy Company: kailua-candy.com
Culinary Experience highlights
Except for the off-property tours, all meals are at the Hilton Waikoloa VillageJuly 17
>> Welcome reception ($35), Presidential Suite
>> Five-course kaiseki dinner and sake tasting ($85), at Restaurant ImariJuly 18
>> Paniolo Breakfast ($30), Presidential Suite
>> Upcountry Chef's Tour ($125), Waimea
>> Legends of the Pacific luau dinner and show ($85), Kamehameha CourtJuly 19
>> Hawaiian Regional Breakfast ($30), Presidential Suite
>> Kona Coffee Plantation Tour and Chocolate Demonstration ($125), Kona coffee country
>> Hawaiian Regional Cuisine and Wine Tasting ($85), Kamuela Provision CompanyJuly 20
>> East Meets West Breakfast ($30), Presidential Suite
>> The Chef's Table ($55), Water's Edge
>> Spa treatment ($170), Kohala Spa and Sports Club
>> Contemporary Northern Italian Cuisine and Wine Tasting ($85), Donatoni'sJuly 21
>> Aloha Breakfast ($30), Hilton Waikoloa Village
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer
and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.
