A Passion for Sharing Real Food
Hawaii is a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, backgrounds and experience – and so is our family.
The chef (and farmer), Ignacio, grew up in rural Argentina where cooking from scratch was the norm and sharing culinary experiences continues to be a big part of family life. After 20 years of a career in the culinary industry around the world, Ignacio became interested in the natural preservation of fresh and healthy ingredients without artificial preservatives or stabilizers and began experimenting with some of his favorite family recipes. His chimichurri was one of the first of his successes to make it out onto the tables of friends and family who encouraged him to make more.
The business manager (and taste tester), Susana, grew up on the U.S. Mainland in a Cuban-American household where relatives would ship rare ingredients from Miami for the holidays in order to carry on traditions passed down for generations. It was also where big breakfasts on weekends were more tempting than the chance to sleep in. Susana loves to entertain and has always appreciated the ability to gather friends and family to indulge in a chef’s creation. Now she’s focused on introducing customers to the extraordinary flavors coming out of her husband’s kitchen that she’s so accustomed to.
The helpers (aka the harvester and the artist), Little Guy and Principessa, are eager to learn the ropes and know they’re lucky to live in such a place so abundant in sunshine, pristine water and all the earth’s bounty that comes with it.
While food has always been a big part of our lives, living in Maui has changed the way we cook and eat simply for the fact that we’ve been introduced to more exotic fruits, vegetables and spices than anywhere in the world and almost everything grows year-round. When Ignacio started preserving his own home-grown ingredients, he realized he could combine his love of sharing food experiences with his culinary expertise and interest in old-fashioned preservation methods. Aina Kopi is the cumulation of all those things plus the unique offerings of the land here and the essence of the island lifestyle. We hope to capture the full experience and benefit of the true flavors of Hawaii in each of our products so our customers can enjoy them to the same extent as if they were here.
Aloha!