2 Valley Isle companies team up on a fruity new, oh-so-cool treat

It’s time for those of us on Oahu to be jealous of Maui residents, over ice cream.

A new flavor of Maui-based Roselani Ice Cream, exclusive to the Valley Island for now, features Kula strawberry syrup made by Maui Upcountry Jams & Jellies.

The Roselani Kula Strawberry Shortcake premium ice cream incorporates syrup made from Kula-grown strawberries and shortcake crunch pieces, said Cathy Nobriga-Kim, third-generation Roselani Ice Cream maker and vice president of Maui Soda & Ice Works Ltd., Roselani’s parent company.

“Every so often I go into our recipe archives and try to see if I can do a flavor refresh,” she said. “With more local strawberries grown here — and production has been consistent — I figured … strawberry shortcake.”

It’s not as simple as chopping up strawberries and mixing them into an ice cream base. “In order for me to use fresh fruit in ice cream, it needs to be heat-processed,” among other requirements, Nobriga-Kim said.

Jan Yokoyama, owner of Upcountry Maui Jams & Jellies, “has been very successful putting out Kula strawberry syrup. I’ve spoken with her in the past and thought it was time to put my foot to the metal and get it done.”

“Together we can be a much more formidable competitor,” Nobriga-Kim said of the partnership. “It’s a little bit more expensive, but in the long run we’re helping each other out.”

The new flavor is being served at only a handful of Maui establishments, from 3-gallon tubs, and while there is hope for further distribution, there are as yet no plans for retail packaging or grocery store sales of the frozen product.

Kula Strawberry Shortcake-flavored Roselani Ice Cream is available at Maui Tropical Plantation and Hula Cookies in Wailuku; and Royal Scoops at the Royal Lahaina Resort, BanyanTreats and Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, all in Lahaina.

Nobriga-Kim will be packing up some of the new ice cream for her distributor on Oahu, with an eye toward getting the 3-gallon tubs to Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii island.

“I like the idea of not just doing our own jams and jellies,” said Yokoyama, whose website lists jams, jellies, butters, curds, chutneys, mustards, sauces and, of course, syrups.

“We can incorporate ideas with other companies because we do a lot of private- label work,” she said. “It’s just another avenue, which I feel is good because it takes us to a different level.”

Yokoyama grows guavas, raspberries, strawberry guavas and other crops for her value-added, made-on-Maui products, but also incorporates produce from other area farmers.

“We’re such a little company that we could get totally overlooked, but for Cathy to put us out there alongside of her, it’s a big deal. I feel very fortunate and very appreciative,” Yokoyama said.

Nobriga-Kim, meanwhile, is always thinking about new flavors for Roselani. “I’m always looking for ways to partner with other producers here,” she said.

She’s toying with adding a savory flavor. In doing so, she will have to weigh the trendiness of the product with the potential customer base for something unfamiliar.

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