Mangoes in Hawaii

While there are over 90 varieties of Mango that have been grown at one time or another in Hawaii, most people are familiar with Haden or Pirie due to the popularity they received back in the second half of the 20th Century.  (Does anyone else remember Chinese and Cigar mangoes?  Many of those “wild” trees growing in the middle of some cow pasture were of these varieties.)

Many of these other varieties had neither the taste or texture of the popular Haden and Pirie and each has their supporters.  I still remember when people I knew were switching their preferences from Haden to Pirie as being “da best”!  At any rate, I feel safe in saying that if you were to ask those who have a mango tree in their yards, odds are good that they are one of these two popular varieties.

Better Mangoes?

According to a report written by R.A. Hamilton, Dept. of Horticulture at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, there are more recent and better quality mangoes that would do well in Hawaii.  The problem is that Haden and Pirie mangoes are so well established that it will take a while before people will discover them.

The better of these new varieties of mangoes are:

• Gouveia:  July-Aug bearing, 12-16 oz fruit with reported Excellent eating quality and a medium bearing tree
• Rapoza:  Aug-Oct bearing, larger 20-25 oz fruit with Excellent eating quality and a heavy yielding tree
• Ah Ping:  June-July bearing, 16-32 oz fruit with Good eating quality and a medium yielding tree
• Harders:  June-August bearing, smaller 10-12 oz fruit with Good eating quality and a regular bearing tree
• Momi K:  June-July bearing, 10-12 oz fruit with Good eating quality and a moderate bearing tree
• Pope:  July-Sept bearing, 10-16 oz fruit with Good eating quality and a high yielding tree

If I had to pick my choice for replacing a Haden or Pirie mango, I would go as most would do with the Gouveia and Rapoza.  Planting a pair of these mangoes should provide some great eating fruit from July to October!  And, if I had to pick just one, it would have to be the Rapoza with its larger fruit and heavier yields, of course.  These trees were selected with Hawaii growing conditions in mind, so they should do quite well in a typical backyard environment.

It was noted in Mr. Hamilton’s report that most nurseries carried the more popular Haden and Pirie mangoes, but that availability of these other varieties should improve as people catch on that there are better alternatives.  Maybe you’d like to be ahead of the curve and have the room to plant a mango tree in your yard!

Why No All-Inclusive Resort Packages

A common inquiry made on Yahoo Answers and other Hawaii blogs is a request for recommendations for the best all-inclusive resort to stay at.  Well, in Hawaii, they are often disappointed to find out that there is no such thing.  Why?  Two major reasons stand out.

Costs

One of the disadvantages of living in the most remote islands in the world is that everything has to be shipped in.  While the general view of living in a tropical paradise includes having fresh fruits at your beckoning whenever you choose, the reality is that there simply isn’t any way to raise enough produce to supply the almost 1 million residents, let alone the millions of visitors to the islands.

The majority of foods, and other goods, are imported.  People on the mainland often pay $50-60 cents/lb for bananas, people in Hawaii pay in excess of $1.00/lb for island grown bananas.  How about pineapples?  After all, at one time, Hawaii supplied 2/3rds of the world’s supply of this exotic fruit.  Frequently found at $3-4 each throughout mainland grocery stores, it will cost you $5 or more in Hawaii.  Likewise, there are few egg producing farms and dairy farms are equally rare, so milk and eggs are also flown in from California.

Add labor for the activities people expect in an all-inclusive resort and you’re pricing yourself out of what most people would consider acceptable for an all-inclusive resort, even in Hawaii.  Fuel for wave-runners, jet ski’s and the like costs about 20% more than elsewhere in the country.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

Its Hawaii!

Probably the #1 reason why you won’t find an all-inclusive resort in Hawaii is the simple fact that it is Hawaii!

There are very few people who come to Hawaii who will stay within their resort, no matter how nice.  Disney’s new Aulani Resort is an example that comes to mind.  There are enough amenities and activities to keep your family happy and content within the resort, but I seriously doubt you will find anyone who has spent the majority of their time on-site, even there!

There is so much to see and do, even if that’s just taking leisurely drives around the island exploring.  Oahu has over 100 beaches beckoning visitors and residents alike.  Waikiki is bustling with shopping and beach activities for every activity level.  Honolulu offers some of the best and varied restaurant fare to be found anywhere!

As for the other islands, they offer even more tropical scenery than Oahu and therefore more reason to leave your hotel/resort.  Kauai is renown for its lush rainforests and waterfalls, Waimea Canyon and the Napali sea-cliffs, begs to be seen.

Maui offers Haleakala National Park, the winding road to Hana, snorkeling at Molokini, and whale-watching during the winter months – not conducive to staying within a resort.

The Big Island invites visitors to explore its variety of terrain (from desert to rainforests to sub-alpine), waterfalls, star-gazing at Mauna Kea, snorkeling with Manta rays, and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, all scattered throughout the island.  All of which works against the very concept of an all-inclusive resort.

An All-inclusive Resort Package on Lanai?

Once known as the Pineapple Isle since 98% of it was owned by James Dole, of Dole Pineapple and later Castle & Cooke, it had little else to offer visitors.  Since the demise of the pineapple industry in Hawaii, Lanai re-invented itself as a resort destination and features two 5-star resorts that are “the draw” to Lanai these days…an escape for Honolulu residents as well as stressed tourists looking to unwind.  So, if there was ever a place to offer an all-inclusive resort, this would be the place.

Since Castle & Cooke, the company that owned almost all of the 141-square-mile island, recently sold the land to Lawrence J. Ellison, chief executive of Oracle, the software giant, inclusive of these two resorts, perhaps such a package may be in his future plans.  Time will tell.

Better Off Without an All-inclusive Resort

I think you can see that it would be impossible for any one resort to package all that Hawaii offers within its boundaries making an all-inclusive resort package impractical for visitors to the Aloha state!  Don’t see this as a negative, but rather a positive prospect to getting the most of your time and money while exploring this tropical paradise.

*Footnote:  Interesting timing.  I just read an article entitled “All-inclusive Rates at Non-All-Inclusive Resorts“, which is kind of an  Ala-carte pricing of activities and meal plans that you can selectively put your own package together.  Perhaps this trend may find its way here to Hawaii.

70% Clean Energy by 2030

As a state, Hawaii has committed to a very aggressive and admirable goal of 70 percent clean energy for ground transportation and the generation of electricity by 2030.  So, I thought I would pull info from various websites to help give my readers an idea of how things are progressing towards this monumental task.

It will involve everyone from private investment, farmers and ranchers, research projects in cooperation with the University of Hawaii, government resources and support, and last, but not least, the public sector.  Probably the most fickle-minded is the latter with its short-term memory and easily distracted interests.  The goal of being energy independent, of not being hostage to whatever political or social event happens to be impacting the current price of oil needs to be kept firmly in place…not only in times of high oil and gas prices, but through those periods when oil and gas prices are down, such as now.

It would be one thing if oil prices would stay down, but we all know that’s not going to happen.  So, when comparing these alternative fuel sources and their cost effectiveness, they don’t always compare favorably.  Add to this problem the fact that there is a long gearing up process to go from “concept” to “implementation”, which often overlaps these up and down oil prices and you can see why so many concept projects fold before they reach viable implementation.

Its important that throughout these up and down cycles, that the ultimate goal is to achieve energy independence and do so via clean energy.  While this includes solar, wind, and wave conversion technologies, today’s blog post is focused on the bio-energy aspect.

Hawaiian Electric Company

Hawaiian Electric Co., which owns the utilities on Oahu, the Big Island, and in Maui County, has pledged to derive 40 percent of electricity from clean energy sources by 2030.  If it doesn’t meet certain benchmarks along the way, then the company can be financially penalized.

Bio-fuels from local or imported sources both count toward meeting renewable energy requirements, though local sources are given preference.

And, while Hawaiian Electric Co. has made efforts and requested bio-fuel proposals from private entities, most have not been economically feasible.  So, while their commitment to attaining their goal of 40% may be achieved, its a shame that once again, it may have to rely on outside suppliers for this fuel.  Just to test its generators, it had to import bio-fuels from Malaysia and Iowa.

From HECO’s website: [http://bit.ly/PkweC9]

Big Island

On the Big Island, SunFuels Hawaii recently put its woody biomass project on indefinite hold. The company was working on a biomass-to-liquid technology that would produce 13 million gallons of fuel annually, but the company said it just couldn’t make the numbers work.

Honolulu-based Aina Koa Pono has been hoping to build a bio-fuel plant in the Kau region of the Big Island, near Pahala.  But last year it’s contract with Hawaiian Electric was rejected by state regulators who said that the cost of the fuel was exorbitant and not in the best interest of ratepayers. The project also encountered protests from local residents who worried about health and environmental risks, traffic and noise from the facility.

On a positive note, Pacific Biodiesel unveiled its Big Island Biodiesel plant in Keaau, capable of meeting 8 percent of the state’s biodiesel needs for ground transportation.  It’s the first plant to be built in Hawaii capable of processing a range of plant products.  Among the dignitaries in attendance at this week’s blessing ceremony were Governor Neil Abercrombie and U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye.

Maui

Latest news from Maui is the “switching on” of  the 14 turbines of the 21-megawatt Kaheawa Wind II earlier this week.  Added to the turbines of Kaheawa Wind I, the new turbines raise the total number of wind power units to 34 on the ridge overlooking Maalaea Bay and the total power-generating capacity to 51 megawatts.

“The battery storage component included in this project plays a critical role in helping Maui Electric Co. accept additional renewable energy from the Kaheawa II facility into our electrical grid,”  says president Sharon Suzuki.  The battery will allow for “voltage regulation,” storing wind power during peak periods and drawing on that power during low periods, said Kekoa Kaluhiwa, spokesman for First Wind Energy.

For more information on this, go to www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/562692.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter.

For more information on Hawaii’s clean energy efforts, check out:

• http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2012/07/06/16258-new-hawaii-biodiesel-plant-could-be-game-changer/
• http://www.hawaiisenergyfuture.com/Articles/FAQ.html#faq_sponsoringwebsite
• http://www.energyfuturehawaii.org/
• http://energy.hawaii.gov/

If you’re going to be on the Big Island in the middle of August, you’ll want to mark your calendars for the 2011, 39th Annual Hookuikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site on the Big Island of Hawaii!  Located along the coast on the northern end of Kona, Puukohola Heiau is the largest preserved heiau in the state.  Built by King Kamehameha the Great, it is well worth a stop, even if you can’t make the festival activities.

But, if you are able to fit it into your schedule, the public is invited to experience Royal Court ceremonies, traditional warrior exhibitions,  a mock battle, cultural demonstrations, traditional crafts, music, games, double-hulled canoe rides, traditional food tasting and many more activities.  Yes, you read that right, there will be free double-hulled canoe rides offered!

The Royal Court, Hookupu (Gift-Giving Ritual) and battle reenactment will take place on Saturday, August 13, from 6:30am-10:00am.

NĀ KE‘ENA HANA (Cultural Workshops and Activities 10:30am-3:00pm, Saturday & Sunday.) 

Hula Kāhiko (Ancient Hula), Lei Haku Ame Lei Wili (Ancient Lei Making), Hana Kapa Kuiki (Quilting), Ulana, Lauhala (Lauhala Weaving), ‘Ohe Hanu Ihu (Nose Flute), Kūkūweke La‘ī  (Rain Cape), Hana ‘Upena Kiloi (Net Making), Ku‘i ‘Ai (Poi Pounding), Holo Wa‘a  (Canoe Rides), Hana Hū (Spinning Tops)l, ‘Ohe Kāpala Ki‘i (Bamboo Stamp, Designs), Pahu  (Drums), Ulana Lau Niu (Frond Plaiting), Kahili (Fly Brush), Nī‘au Pūlumi (Hawaiian Broom), Ipu (Gourd, making), Hana Pala‘ie (Loop and Ball Making), Makau  (Fishhook), Kumu La‘au (Woodwork), Ku‘i, Wauke (Tapa Pounding), Awa (Traditional Drink)

As you can see, its a jammed pack schedule of activities that should enlighten and entertain everyone in the family.  The 39th Annual Hookuikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, August 13th and 14th, 2011…don’t forget the sunscreen, there’s not much shade out there.

Hawaiian Honey!

While all natural un-processed honeys are packed with nutritional goodness, not to mention just plain good to eat, you can get some very uniquely flavored honeys from those bees fortunate enough to call Hawaii home.  Hawaiian honey can be found in lehua, macadamia nut, and even Wilelaiki Blossom (aka: Christmas berry) sourced flavors.

There is even a rare “white honey” available from Hawaii.  An important element to consider when purchasing honey for consumption with the idea of gaining the many health benefits associated with honey is to make sure that you get “raw” (unprocessed) honey.  And, if you can get “organic raw honey”, all the better.

Raw Hawaiian Honey

While most people get their honey from their nearest grocery store, if the health benefits of honey are of interest to you, you would do best to purchase raw Hawaiian honey, either online or from a nearby farmer’s market.  Many of the benefits associated with honey get “cooked” out of it when it is processed.  You should avoid heating honey if you want to receive its maximum benefits.

What’s the difference between “raw” and “processed” honey?

• raw honey contains phytonutrients that can eliminate cancers and tumors
• raw honey often contains propolis, a mixture of resins used by the honeybees to seal their hive against viruses and bacteria
• raw honey contains friendly bacteria that are effective in the treatment of burns and wounds
• raw honey is used as a natural remedy for indigestion, bronchitis and ulcers
• raw honey helps alleviate stomach problems such as diarrhea, indigestion and symptoms of gastroenteritis
• contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and a high amount of vitamin C
• studies have shown that raw honey may be effective in weight loss
• honey also improves HDL cholesterol levels
• honey is an effective cough suppressant

Note:  Honey must not be given to infants below one year.  Some varieties of honey may contain traces of pesticides and pollutants present in plants and flowers.  (Which is another reason to purchase organic, raw Hawaiian honey when you can!)

Organic, Raw, Hawaiian Honey

Non-organic, Raw, Hawaiian Honey

Another project of the Kona Historical Society is the restoration of the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum.  They have gone through great lengths to research and stock items that would have been in need to the many cowboys (yes, cowboys…”paniolos” in Hawaii) and farmers in the area, circa 1890.

Built in 1870, by Englishman Henry Nicholas Greenwell, the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum is the oldest surviving store in Kona and one of the oldest buildings in the district.  Among its stock you will find accurate reproductions from rope to rice, saddles to wild dog poison, and denim trousers to wool long johns.  Yes, you read that correctly, wool long johns.  It gets cold at night up in the hills above Kona.

The H.N. Greenwell Store Museum is located just north of the Kona Coffee Living History Farm, between mile markers 111 and 112 on Mamalahoa Highway (Hwy 11).  This makes for a great pair of stops that can be made on the same day and if you can manage to do it on a Thursday, all the better.

Portuguese Stone Oven Bread at the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum on Thursdays

On Thursdays, in the pasture behind the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum, volunteers bake Portuguese sweetbread in a stone oven the way they did it a hundred years ago.  The Portuguese first arrived on the Big Island in 1878, and among their many contributions to the Hawaiian way of life, they introduced the now iconic ukelele and the sound of slack key guitar.  The sound of Hawaiian music would be completely different than what we have come to know as Hawaiian music without them.

They also introduced the Forno, or stone oven.  Whether it was a large communal oven or a smaller family forno, its where they made the taste Hawaii adopted as its own, the Pao Duce, now called Hawaiian Sweetbread.   (They are responsible for yet another island favorite, Portuguese sausage.)

To bake bread in a forno, someone has to be there at 6:00 AM to get the wood fire going to heat up the stone oven.  It takes 4-hours for the stone oven to sufficiently heated, then the coals are removed from inside of the oven and the bread is put in to bake in the residual heat stored in the stones.  (To experience this alone is worth visiting the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum.)

The H.N. Greenwell Store Museum is open Mon thru Thur, from 10:00 AM till 2:00 PM.  The Portuguese Stone Oven Baking is done on Thursdays only, between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM.  The bread starts coming out between 12:00 and 12:30 PM and is sold for $7.00 a loaf.    Only 30 loaves fit in the oven, and they are sold on a first come, first served basis, so make sure you time your arrival early enough to get a hold of one…or two.

Admission to the H.N. Greenwell Store Museum is $7.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5.

Newest Pahoa Flow Moving Northeast

As of Dec. 2, 2014, the area where the two lines of descent (the blue lines) is approximately 400 yards from the current flow.  At the current rate of advancement, it should reach it sometime today.  So, tomorrow will give a better idea of which direction the flow will take.  It could follow the current line, which would take it toward the Pahoa Marketplace, it could take the more northerly track or split and take both.  On the other hand, as we’ve seen in the past, it could very well take a completely unexpected path or stop, like the original flow.

The original flow, shown in pink above, advanced at an average rate closer to 100 yards or less daily.

This video is from the Dec 1, 2014 update and has some great video shots, as well as good information on what’s happened.

The community of Pahoa and its surrounding subdivisions has been threatened by advancing lava since June 2014.  To date, as far as I know, only one residential property has been completely lost to the lava.  A few other properties have been affected with the lava entering and covering part of their property, but otherwise, damage has been minimal to this point.  Of course, there was ranch/cattle land covered along the way, as well.

The Civil Defense, Hawaii Volcano Observatory, Hawaii County, the state of Hawaii, and the utility companies have all made great efforts to keep the public aware of on-going activity while trying to maintain as much of the utilities and road access available to the residents of Pahoa.  The Federal government and FEMA has been somewhat slow to provide much assistance.  Lava, and its unique properties, is not something national emergency procedures address well.

I’m sure FEMA would act quicker had the entire community of Pahoa disappeared under a massive advance of lava, but the fact that this is a slowly developing situation and with unknown properties affected, they seem to be at a loss as to what to do.  Even President Obama, who likes to claim Hawaii as his birthplace, was slow to declare a State of Emergency which provides access to federal aid to affected families and small business owners.

The problem with not only federal aid, but with homeowners’ insurance, is that they don’t kick in until and unless your residence or business has been destroyed.  They do not consider you’re leaving or evacuating in advance of the lava, as their problem.  In fact, homeowners’ insurance goes so far as to punish those who evacuate by declaring your home as vacant, therefore limited in coverage if covered at all.  The other problem that the state is looking into is the cancellation or non-renewal of policies on properties in the affected areas by insurance companies.

Cafe 100 in Hilo (808 Kilauea Ave.), is the birthplace of this all-in-one, nutritionists’ nightmare, local favorite!  The classic loco-moco is a bowl of rice, an egg fried over-easy, one hamburger patty, all smothered, generously in brown gravy.  (You can feel your arteries harden with each delicious bite.)

Cafe 100 is a must-stop for my family whenever we’re in Hilo…the variations on the theme seem to be endless.  While I love the original, classic loco-moco, I also enjoy the Spam loco-moco and the Portuguese-sausage loco-moco.

On the other end of the island, in Waimea, is the Hawaiian Style Cafe (64-1290 Kawaihae Rd.), which is credited for what might just be the biggest loco-moco  using a 1-pound hamburger patty!  While the following video runs 22 minutes, the Hawaiian Style Cafe is covered within the first 4 1/2 minutes…although, you might want to watch the rest of the video as well.

Of course, today, there are various renditions on this Hawaii favorite at many restaurants throughout the state.  I’d be curious to know which and from where,  is your favorite?