A second visit to the Dole Pineapple Plantation

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A slight fall of rain didn't stop us from visiting the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Wahiawa, Oahu. During my first visit, I was part of a tour group visiting the island. This time, I drove with Mommy, Daddy, and Donan. I was determined to ride the train to see the plantation (because I didn't have a chance to do that previously). Donan immediately wanted to try the Pineapple Garden Maze when we saw it.

Our two-hour scheduled stop was short. We were supposed to find eight stations inside the maze, but we only saw three because it was huge (it is the largest maze in the world, after all) and we were pressed for time. It would take about an hour to find all the stations (accounting for the fact that we also got lost in the maze). We wouldn't be able to catch the train tour if we attempted to complete the maze.

The train tour circled around the Dole Plantation's pineapple farm, where we saw pineapples in varying stages of maturity (to ensure that there's pineapple all year long). We also saw cacao trees, coffee trees, bromeliads, ginger, and heliconias, among the lush greenery in the plantation. I learned that Dole no longer grows pineapples in Oahu for export (I mostly see fresh pineapples from Central America here); most of its local produce is sold in the Hawaiian market. 

I became curious about Hawaiian cacao production because, aside from knowing that Côte d'Ivoire is the major producer of cacao, I knew very little about it. I learned on the tour that Waialua Estate Coffee and Cacao was established in the tradition of Dole Plantation. It grows cacao and coffee trees on former sugarcane farmland (Waialua Sugar Company used to be one of the most extensive sugarcane plantations in the state). I bought two bars of the single-origin milk chocolate. They were yummy! The formulation is not as good as Läderach's, but it's worth buying more. I would like to know if it's available in the mainland.

And of course, I had to buy us some Dole whip! After a hot and humid wait in the train line, getting lost in the maze, and getting drizzled on in the garden, it was time for a dose of cool and refreshing pineapple. It's available in California (thanks, Uncle Sharki!), but Mommy, Daddy, and Donan had to try it for the first time where it began. It's as good as it's been on my first time in the plantation. It tasted like pineapple but with the creaminess of coconut milk.

On our way back to the car, we stopped by a food shack selling grilled corn. They only sold elotes at the time, so we got that. And, as with the Dole whip, it was delicious! It's grilled corn on the cob, slathered with a paste containing Cotija cheese, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, lime, and mayonnaise. It had a strong nutty flavour, balanced by the tanginess and creaminess of the paste.

Our Dole Pineapple Plantation tour became a food trip!

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