HONOLULU — It’s been a few years since Big Island Candies introduced its first collaboration with Harumi Kurihara. The offering — Harumi’s Hawaiian Salt Cookies — became an instant hit.
So, it made sense that the brand — a favorite in the islands — would once again collaborate with the lifestyle maven, who’s been billed as the “Martha Stewart of Japan.”
The product of that second collaboration, Harumi’s Kona Coffee Cookies, launched back in November.
It sold out in two weeks.
“It was so popular, and we got such good feedback, that we worked together and we’re going to be re-introducing this tomorow [Saturday, Feb. 17], and it will be added to our regular line with the salt cookie,” said Sherrie Holi, Big Island Candies’ COO at a media event Friday. “We really wanted to create something that (wasn’t) too sweet; the combination of the little bit of sweetness with the bitterness of Kona Coffee was the perfect match … it has a nice balance to it."
Holi, whose family founded Big Island Candies in 1977, recalled her first meeting with Kurihara, who had sent out feelers wanting to work with a company in Hawaii.
“It was a very casual meeting. It was over a meal that she had prepared,” Holi said, adding that she felt Kurihara was very genuine, and full of positivity and kindness — a feeling that remains today, some six years later. “I feel so very fortunate to know her and her team and to be able to work with them.”
Speaking through a translator, the award-winning cookbook author said that she is very proud of the cookies. Kurihara noted she doesn’t sell cookies anywhere else. Big Island Candies' stores in Hilo and at Ala Moana Center, along with its website, are the only places in the world where people can buy the celebrity homemaker’s special cookies.
“One of the reasons why Harumi-san wanted to create these cookies is really to thank all of the people of Hawaii,” Holi explained. “She has fond memories of Hawaii, loves Hawaii … She said that she would like to keep supporting Hawaii.
“Actually, we are going to challenge ourselves, to maybe invent a new cookie one day. Who knows what’s to come?"
Harumi’s Kona Coffee Cookies will be available for purchase from Feb. 17, and Kurihara will be on-hand at Big Island Candies’ Ala Moana Center store at 9:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet.
Lianne Bidal Thompson is the digital producer for Spectrum News Hawaii. She writes about community and general news. She can be reached at lianne.thompson@charter.com.