The 2nd Annual Breadfruit Fest held on Saturday, September 29th at the Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens in Captain Cook on the Big Island of Hawai'i showed that breadfruit can be a versatile source of food.
Photo: Assorted varieties of breadfruit in different stages of ripeness.
Breadfruit has been feeding Pacific Islanders for milennia and although at one time it was found growing in prolific forests in Hawai'i and can be boiled, steamed, fried, mashed and made into flour, through the years it lost popularity to the introduced potatoes and yams.
The resurgence of this valued crop can be the answer to food scarcity in the future. Although our islands can grow almost anything that grows anywhere else in the world, our dependence on imports runs at between 80 to 95% depending on the sources checked.
Breadfruit is so versatile that it could fill a major gap in our islands' food supplies. At each the three different festival we have held to date (*) hundreds of little breadfruit trees have been sold, giving hope that eventually the trees will be again found throughout the areas where it grows to best advantage.
Who says breadfruit can't go "international" or "gourmet"? Look at one of the winning recipes below.
Second Place Winner in the Entrée Category garnered enough judge points in healthy ingredients to also win the Healthiest Choice Award.
Entry by Gwen Edwards of Kailua-Kona
'Ulu (Breadfruit) Gnocchi with Hamakua Mushroom Ragout
For gnocchi:
1 green breadfruit
1 to 1 1/2 cups flour
2 egg yolks
For ragout:
2 cups alii mushrooms, chopped
½ Maui onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4-5 sage leaves, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
For garnish:
A sprig of fresh sage
A few Pioppini mushrooms from Hamakua Mushrooms Heritage Farm
Sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Peel, core, and chop breadfruit into bite sized pieces. Steam in a steamer basket for 20-30 minutes or until soft. Place in a large bowl and mash.
When breadfruit has cooled some, but is still warm, add flour and beaten egg yolks. Use your hands to mix and knead until it becomes a ball of dough. Do not over work the dough. Take a small handful of dough and roll into a tube about ¾ inch in diameter on a floured surface using the tips of your fingers. Cut the tube into 1 inch pieces and press each with your thumb to make a small indentation. Place gnocchi on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and continue with the rest of the dough.
Begin making the ragout by sautéing onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, adding salt and pepper to taste as you go. Add the balsamic vinegar and sage, cover and turn off heat.
Yield: 4-6 portions
(*) So far two fall festivals in the Captain Cook location and one spring festival in the Pū'āla'a, (by Kapoho) Puna area. The next spring festival at Pū'āla'a, Puna will be held on March 2nd. Mark your calendars!
To read a previous post about this event click on the link below
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