Island Snow shave ice takes natural turn

Maybe I’m a little obsessive-compulsive, but after the mountain apple fail at The Beet Box Cafe Haleiwa, I couldn’t get the idea of mountain apple juice out of my head.

To the rescue comes Island Snow, which has introduced a line of 100-percent natural flavors in collaboration with the Welch Brothers — Josh and Joe — the makers of Ono Pops. One of the flavors just happens to be mountain apple, as delicate and rosy as I’d imagined, with the pulp adding a nice texture.

Given the increased demand for natural edibles, the company had been on the hunt for someone who could make natural syrups from locally grown fruit purees, explained James Kodama, Island Snow Hawaii president and CEO. While many vendors relied on produce from the mainland and South America, the Welch brothers were known for sourcing the best local ingredients for their Ono Pops.

Every flavor in the Island Snow Natural Flavors line is handmade and sweetened with Maui cane sugar. With some fruit available only seasonally and in limited quantities, specials are sometimes added to round out the menu. Starfruit is the current special.

The natural flavors cost $1 more than the $4.25 price of a keiki-size shave ice or $4.75 for a large.