Hawaiian foodie tour

The Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. (not associated with Hamakua Heritage Farm) in Waimea on Hawaii’s Big Island lets visitors sample a wide variety of macadamia nut products, including flavored “macs.”

While this was hard for the writer to imagine, one of the most popular flavors of macadamia nuts sold by the Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. in Waimea is Spam-flavored.

The Vanilla Shoppe at the Hawaiian Vanilla Co. in Paauilo on the Big Island looks as if it should be featured on the label of a box of vanilla cookies.

Owner Jim Reddekopp hams it up with one of his vanilla-orchid plants during the tour of the “shade houses” where the orchids grow at the Vanilla Plantation in Paauilo.

Tour guests check out the mesh “canoes” owner Jim Reddekopp invented to keep the vanilla orchid plants from getting too wet while growing in shade houses at the Vanilla Plantation.

Owner, chef and showman Jim Reddekopp whips up some vanilla shrimp as an appetizer for guests at Vanilla Plantation.

A vanilla shrimp appetizer is ready to be served to guests before lunch and the tour of the Vanilla Plantation.

The lunch that proceeds the tour of the Vanilla Plantation includes a vanilla-citrus-bourbon chicken sandwich with vanilla barbecue sauce and vanilla-mango chutney, roasted potatoes with vanilla-Southwest rub, and organic salad with feta cheese and vanilla-honey peppered pecans with vanilla-raspberry-balsamic dressing.

Laupahoehoe Point County Park, about a mile from the mushroom factory at Hamakua Heritage Farm, is known for rough waves hitting a rugged lava coastline. But back, away from the waves, it makes a nice spot for a picnic.

The mushroom factory at Hamakua Heritage Farm grows tiny Pioppini and larger white Ali’i (also called King Oyster and Trumpet Royale) mushrooms for sampling at the factory and for sale in markets and restaurants throughout Hawaii.

Workers at the mushroom factory at Hamakua Heritage Farm in Laupahoehoe.