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Aloha. Greetings from Hawaii. This is my last day of a two-week visit to O’ahu. It was a wedding that brought us here, and it’s been a fabulous family reunion. It’s been relaxing, rejuvenating and (I must admit) a bit indulgent. We’ve eaten a lot of great food, and I wanted to use part of our time here to get to know the local cuisine.
I spent a glorious Saturday morning visiting one of the big farmers’ markets here at the Kapi’olani Community College. For a state that relies on about 90 percent imported foods, there’s an amazing local foods movement going on. A new website HawaiiFoods.Hawaii.edu was recently launched by the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the Cancer Research Center to…
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%20a%20bit%20indulgent.%20We%E2%80%99ve%20eaten%20a%20lot%20of%20great%20food,%20and%20I%20wanted%20to%20use%20part%20of%20our%20time%20here%20to%20get%20to%20know%20the%20local%20cuisine.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20spent%20a%20glorious%20Saturday%20morning%20visiting%20one%20of%20the%20big%20farmers%E2%80%99%20markets%20here%20at%20the%20Kapi%E2%80%99olani%20Community%20College.%20For%20a%20state%20that%20relies%20on%20about%2090%20percent%20imported%20foods,%20there%E2%80%99s%20an%20amazing%20local%20foods%20movement%20going%20on.%20A%20new%20website%20HawaiiFoods.Hawaii.edu%20was%20recently%20launched%20by%20the%20University%20of%20Hawaii%E2%80%99s%20College%20of%20Tropical%20Agriculture%20and%20Human%20Resources%20and%20the%20Cancer%20Research%20Center%20to%20help%20promote%20local%20foods%20and%20healthier%20eating%20(similar%20to%20the%20mainland,%20Hawaii%20has%20escalating%20obesity%20rates).%20The%20site%20is%20a%20great%20resource%20on%20foods%20commonly%20eaten%20in%20Hawaii,%20with%20nutrition%20information%20for%20local%20foods%20that%20you%20won%E2%80%99t%20find%20in%20the%20USDA%20nutrient%20database.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20learned%20about%20the%20growing%20contingent%20of%20small-scale%20farmers%20who%20are%20trying%20to%20shift%20the%20agriculture%20industry%20away%20from%20the%20model%20of%20corporate-scale%20industrialized%20monocropping%20(such%20as%20sugar%20and%20pineapple)%20to%20a%20model%20of%20family%20farms%20growing%20diverse%20crops%20for%20sale%20locally.%20There%20seemed%20to%20be%20fantastic%20Hawaii%20Regional%20Cuisine%20movement%20brewing,%20which%20was%20evident%20at%20the%20KCC%20Farmers%E2%80%99%20Market,%20as%20well%20as%20the%20many%20local%20restaurants%20we%20visited%20that%20promoted%20farm-to-table%20menus%20featuring%20local%20foods.%20One%20local%20chef%20who%20is%20making%20quite%20a%20name%20for%20himself%20is%20Andrew%20Le,%20who%20has%20one%20of%20the%20most%20popular%20booths%20at%20the%20KCC%20Farmers%E2%80%99%20Market.%20I%20had%20read%20so%20much%20about%20The%20Pig%20and%20the%20Lady%20before%20heading%20out%20to%20the%20market,%20so%20I%20was%20eager%20to%20check%20out%20this%20haute%20Vietnamese-style%20street%20food%20created%20by%20Le%20(along%20with%20Mama%20Le%20and%20other%20family%20members).%20A%20former%20sous%20chef%20at%20Mavro,%20one%20of%20Hawaii%E2%80%99s%20two%20AAA%20five-diamond%20restaurants,%20Le%20is%20delighting%20locals%20with%20his%20appearances%20at%20various%20farmers%E2%80%99%20markets,%20pop-up%20restaurants%20and%20special%20events.%20Currently,%20there%E2%80%99s%20no%20brick%20and%20mortar%20restaurant,%20but%20that%20hasn%E2%80%99t%20hindered%20Le%E2%80%99s%20growing%20fame.%20One%20popular%20dish%20is%20the%20Pho%20French%20Dip,%20which%20was%20voted%20one%20of%20the%20top%2050%20things%20to%20eat%20in%20Hawaii.%20The%20sandwich%20is%20piled%20high%20with%2012-hour%20roasted%20brisket,%20sauteed%20bean%20sprouts%20and%20onions,%20and%20thai%20basil%20chimmichurri%20with%20pho%20au%20jus%20on%20the%20side%20for%20dipping.I%20chatted%20with%20several%20local%20producers%20who%20are%20making%20artisan-style%20foods%20with%20local%20ingredients,%20including%20liliko%E2%80%99i%20(passion%20fruit),%20which%20was%20turned%20into%20jam,%20jelly,%20cream%20cheese%20and%20other%20products.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20met%20several%20Hawaiian%20bee%20keepers%20promoting%20local%20organic%20honey.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20tasted%20some%20amazing%20chocolate,%20crafted%20from%20bean-to-bar%20in%20Hawaii.%20Certain%20parts%20of%20the%20islands%20are%20ideal%20for%20growing%20cacao.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20discovered%20a%20company%20called%20Marine%20AgriFuture%20%20that%20produces%20Sea%20Asparagus%20%E2%80%94%20a%20really%20tasty%20ocean-based%20vegetable%20(aka%20sea%20beans,%20glasswort%20or%20samphire)%20that%20I%20spotted%20on%20several%20restaurant%20menus%20(with%20tuna,%20shrimp%20and%20other%20dishes).%20The%20company%20was%20founded%20by%20scientist%20Dr.%20Wenhao%20Sun%20and%20partners%20to%20produce%20and%20distribute%20premium%20agricultural%20crops%20grown%20with%20a%20patented%20salt-water%20cultivation%20system.%20I%20sampled%20the%20Sea%20Asparagus%20fresh,%20pickled%20and%20in%20an%20%E2%80%9COcean%20Pesto,%E2%80%9D%20which%20was%20amazing.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPickling%20seemed%20to%20be%20a%20big%20trend%20overall,%20just%20like%20it%20is%20in%20the%20mainland.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMany%20of%20the%20fruits%20and%20vegetables%20at%20the%20farmers%E2%80%99%20market%20were%20organic,%20predominately%20grown%20on%20small%20farms%20on%20the%20North%20Shore%20of%20O%E2%80%99ahu.%20There%20were%20luscious%20greens,%20including%20tatsoi%20(a%20Japanese%20spinach),%20arugula,%20edamame,%20white%20daikon%20radishes,%20beets,%20squash%20and%20some%20of%20the%20biggest%20avocados%20I%E2%80%99ve%20ever%20seen.%20I%20loved%20the%20sweet%20potatoes,%20including%20purple%20sweet%20potatoes%20(which%20I%E2%80%99ve%20written%20about%20in%20the%20past)%20and%20the%20famous%20Okinawa%20sweet%20potatoes%20%E2%80%94%20a%20staple%20in%20the%20diets%20of%20the%20Okinawans%20who%20are%20among%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20longest%20living%20populations.%20For%20fruits,%20I%20spotted%20lychee%20and%20mangosteen.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIt%E2%80%99s%20nearly%20impossible%20to%20talk%20about%20local%20Hawaiian%20cuisine%20without%20mentioning%20the%20plate%20lunch%20%E2%80%94%20a%20throwback%20to%20the%20days%20of%20the%20carb-heavy%20meals%20served%20to%20the%20plantation%20workers.%20The%20traditional%20tin%20containers%20(called%20kau%20kau)%20have%20been%20replaced%20with%20the%20ubiquitous%20styrofoam%20clamshells,%20but%20the%20major%20components%20are%20basically%20the%20same:%20meat%20plus%20two%20scoops%20of%20rice%20(often%20with%20a%20scoop%20of%20macaroni%20salad%20too).%20They%E2%80%99re%20crazy%20about%20Spam%20here,%20but%20the%20other%20popular%20meats%20are%20pork%20(kalua),%20Portuguese%20sausage%20and%20Ahi%20tuna%20(often%20served%20as%20Poke,%20a%20raw%20version%20that%E2%80%99s%20been%20marinated%20in%20soy%20and%20spices).%20And%20many%20of%20the%20local%20dishes%20get%20inspiration%20from%20the%20rich%20culinary%20heritage%20of%20Japan,%20Vietnam%20and%20the%20Pacific.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20loved%20these%20Sushi%20Sliders,%20which%20featured%20Ahi%20Poke%20on%20top%20of%20a%20tempura-battered%20kale%20leaf.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20dessert,%20I%20was%20surprised%20(and%20delighted)%20to%20see%20some%20Middle%20Eastern%20sweets.%20But%20the%20real%20local%20treat%20is%20Shave%20Ice%20%E2%80%94%20which%20is%20somewhat%20of%20an%20art%20form%20here.%20This%20is%20no%20typical%20SnoCone.%20The%20ice%20is%20powdery%20like%20snow%20and%20the%20syrups%20are%20not%20your%20basic%20sugary-sweet%20toppings.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}