2nd Annual Puna Breadfruit Festival & Recipe: ‘Ulu Mac Pesto Pupu

Photo: Different sizes of breadfruit - hand shown for size comparison.

Ho'oulu Lāhui, the site of Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School at Pū'āla'a, located next to the 'Ahalanui Hot Pond Park in lower Puna on the Island of Hawai'i was the host for the celebration of the 2nd Annual Breadfruit Festival this past Saturday, March 2nd.

This year's theme 'Ulu a me Niu celebrated the pairing of breadruit and coconut and all of the educational and recreational exhibits prominently featured both. 

Photo: Weaving coconut fronds - weaver's hat is also woven from coconut fronds.

There were lectures, workshops, cooking demonstrations, music and hula; cultural exhibits, games for the children, face painting, quilting and other crafts; Hawaiian drum making, 'ulu pounding, coconut frond weaving and much more including a cooking contest.  

All cooking contest entries were encouraged to combine both the breadfruit and coconut in their recipe entries. 

This year's Second Place Winner in the Appetizer Category was an 'Ulu Mac Pesto Pupu and the winning dish was entered by Jesse Imgrund of Pahoa.

'Ulu Mac Pesto Pupu

  

'Ulu

Macadamia nuts

Tomatoes

Red Pepper

Garlic

Onion

Coconut

Sea Salt

Spices

 

Bake 'ulu in fire or 450 to 500 F oven for 1 -2 hours wrapped in ti or banana leaf. Peel, dice and pound or grate to a flour consistency

 

Soak macadamia nuts for 12 - 24 hours then dry completely in 105 to 110 degree oven.  Grind them to flour consistency.

 

Mix the 'ulu flour, macadamia flour, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, salt and spices to a creamy consistency and bake in small loaves at 350 F until a toothpick comes clean, approximately 40 to 60 minutes.

 

For Mac Pesto:

 

Macadamia nuts

Fresh basil

Garlic

Mac oil

Sea salt

 

Soak and dry the macadamias as for the pupu above.  In a blender or food processor, blend or pound in a mortar all ingredients together until creamy.

 

Top the small loaves with the pesto.  Slice the loaves to serve.

 

Yield: 16 servings

Photo: Keiki activities included several boards of konane (see glossary below)

GLOSSARY: 

Ulu - breadfruit

Mac - macadamia nuts

Keiki - children

Konane - ancient Hawaiian board game played with black and white stones

 

You can find out more information about the Kua O Ka La School, hosts of the Spring breadfruit festivals by visiting their website www.kuaokala.org plus all recipes from the previous breadfruit festival contests at Breadfruit.info in the Hawai'i HomeGrown Food Network site. 

The Breadfruit Festivals are a project of Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu. For more information, please visit www.breadfruit.info

More recipes will be shared in the next few days

To read the previous posts and recipes please click on the following links.

2nd Annual Puna Breadfruit Festival & Recipe: 'Ulu and Niu Soufflé

2nd Annual Puna Breadfruit Festival & Recipe: Shrimp and 'Ulu Cakes

 

 

Comments

[Sonia]

Thank you, Portia. I love all of our food festivals but I am partial to the two breadfruit fests.
So many amazing things you can do with the 'ulu!

[Portia Little]

I feel like i was there at the festival after reading your descriptions, and the recipes are intriguing! Especially to someone in RI!