Half Pint is a small, owner-operated homemade ice cream company based out of Seattle, Washington. Our ice creams are made fresh weekly with local dairy and eggs and other local ingredients when possible.

Aloha from Kauai!

So Half Pint is on a winter break. But, never fear, we will be back up and slinging ice cream again come April! For the time being, however, I am living on Kauai, Hawaii, and soaking in the sun. I’ve also been getting lots of ideas for tasty new ice cream flavors. I’m thinking macadamia nuts will feature prominently on the the Half Pint menu this coming season

Kauai has a great farmers market scene! Here on the island, they are aptly named “Sunshine Markets”. I am living in the town of Kapa’a, which has one of the largest and most well-attended sunshine markets on the island. On my third day here, I went to check it out. It was abundant with beautiful fruits and veggies, some of which I’d never seen before like rambutans and pouteria, also known as “egg fruit”. The avocados were almost as big as my head and the bananas were teeny tiny and sweet as can be. And the market is very well supported! It felt like the entire town of Kapa’a was there shopping, and in such a small town, the sunshine market is definitely a social event, a place for people to meet and to catch up with each other as they shop for delicious produce.

Here are some photos from the Kapa’a Sunshine Market:

Big, buttery avocados. Thinking Half Pint should try an avocado ice cream.

The Kapa'a Sunshine Market, packed with shoppers.

Rambutans. One of my new favorites! So sweet--and fun to eat too.

Local bananas. The best.

It has been so much fun to walk around and see how different the offerings are here versus at the farmers markets in Washington. And it’s wonderful that the markets here are so well supported and attended. One has to get to the market early to ensure that the items you’re looking for aren’t sold out! I will certainly miss the fresh liliko’i (passion fruit) and, my favorite tropical fruit, pineapple. But, it’s nice to know that when I get back to Seattle, it will once again be farmers market season and I can look forward to all of the tasty seasonal Washington produce!

More from Kauai soon!
Aloha!