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Cat Chat: Making truffles

By Catherine Toth Fox • November 1, 2011 • Food, Videos

What’s better than chocolate-covered macadamia nuts?

To me, not much.

Then I heard that Hawaiian Host was unveiling a new, limited edition confection starting today.

The Macadamia Truffles is a labor of love — five years in the making — and truly a masterful creation by Joyce Gepitulan, product innovation technician. (What a job, right?) She figured out a way to blend creamy macadamia butter grounded from roasted macadamia nuts with dark chocolate — then insert that into the company’s famous milk chocolate.

We had to see this for ourselves.

So we got a special tour — the factory isn’t open to the public — of the 65,000-square-foot Hawaiian Host facility in Iwilei with Gepitulan and company president Keith Sakamoto.

We learned some interesting things along the way, too, like Hawaiian Host candies are shipped to 24 countries including India, that the company uses macadamia nuts grown on more than 300 independent farms in Hawaii (mostly on the Big Island), and that founder Mamoru Takitani started this business selling chocolate out of his station wagon.

Boy, has this company come a long way!

Here’s our behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and how it makes these tasty truffles:

Macadamia Truffles, $5.99 per box, available through Christmas at your favorite retailer

candyCat Chatchocolate-covered macadamia nutsHawaiiHawaiian HostJoyce GepitulanKeith Sakamotomacadamia buttermacadamia trufflestruffle
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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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6 Comments

  • Reply David Jackson November 1, 2011 at 9:31 am

    This was easily my favorite Cat Chat ever! For one thing, the wind shower was a riot. I am willing to bet you’d have worn something different if you’d known that was coming. Noticed there was a bit of editing on that one 🙂 Second, who doesn’t love Hawaiian Host? Got to be some of the best candy anywhere. Third, you simply seem more relaxed in this one. In your element maybe? And last, your subjects were truly excellent folks. They had an easy demeanor. They exuded a love for what they do and were very forthcoming. Loved that it took a few years to get the recipe right before they cam forward with the product. How many companies do that these days?

    Think I wil go online and order some stuff today!

  • Reply rayboyjr November 1, 2011 at 11:55 am

    Hey Cat … though I can’t view the video right now, I know I’m going to agree with David that this would be my favorite Cat Chat too …

    … I mean chocolate, macadamia nuts … truffles … OMG … plus a tour of the factory … with you … what more could you ask for??? … well, the only thing is I could reach into my computer screen to get a taste of those macadamia truffles … so … what does the truffles taste like??? … are they any good??? …

    … I love watching how things are made … it’s interesting and surprising sometimes … to actually see what goes into making something like that …

  • Reply Old Man November 1, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    Good job girlfriend, great interaction.

  • Reply DIO November 2, 2011 at 2:13 am

    Oooh, air shower. We had those at work to get rid of any particles before entering the cleanroom.

  • Reply eddyo November 2, 2011 at 7:25 am

    Cat,

    What a fashion statement! the hairnet with that top—so you (lol)…

  • Reply Lulu November 2, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    Holy moly, I love truffles!! This must be heavenly. Wonder if they’ll be easy to find in CA.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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