Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Kung Hee Fat Choy - Chinese New Year Celebration in Hilo!

The Chinese New Year starts on the first evening of a new year's month with a new moon and lasts for 15 days.  It is also celebrated in China as the beginnings of Spring. 

A traditional Lion Dance kicks off the festivities in Hilo

This year the Chinese New Year started on February 7th and will last for 15 days until ending with the Lantern Festival.

On that last day of the festival whole cities and towns in China are decorated with lanterns to celebrate the last day of the full moon.

Overview of a section of Kalakaua Park during the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival in Hilo.

According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, we are now celebrating the year 4706 or Year of the Rat.

A little boy all set to enter the Chinese costume contest.

Saturday 15th of February, the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival was held in Hilo at Kalakaua Park.  This was the biggest event yet.  More booths, more people, more contests and attractions.

We ran into our friend Sue and her daughter Cindy there.  Sue did her part to dress festively!

 

Part of the celebration included performances by dancers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers of Oahu led by Diane Letoto.  The ensemble also performed at the Palace Theater in Hilo the previous evening.

Young performers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers charmed the crowd

Chinese Flickering Fan Dance

Mongolian Horsemen Dance

Hunan Province Hunters Dance

The Firecracker Dance was one of the highlights!

 

That is me, standing in the middle, under the huge banyan tree anchoring one corner of Kalakaua Park

Alice Moon, without whose hard work, initiative and imagination there would not be so many wonderful events and festivals celebrated in Hilo throughout the year!  I caught Alice in a moment of contemplation sitting by the statue of King David Kalakaua, our 'Merrie Monarch' and last King of Hawaii.

The next Hilo festival will be the "45th Merry Monarch Hula Competitions" held every year in honor of King David Kalakaua and held the week after Easter every year.  On Saturday, April 5th, go to Kalakaua Park after the downtown Merrie Monarch Parade, where we will again celebrate our "Merrie Monarch" in the park named for him.

For more about the 6th Annual Chinese New Year's Festival in Hilo, please visit my pages at my foodiesleuth pages at Gather.com

Valentine Making Party

When my friend Sue hosts a party she expects you to participate fully....her parties are not 'expectator sports' and always carry a theme.  Sue is very creative and through the years her guests have participated fully in whatever parties she has dreamed up.

Valentine heart shaped anthuriums arranged by Sue's daughter Cindy

In the past, we have decorated hats, slippahs (as flip-flops are called here), decorated and 'thrown' coconuts for prizes, used bananas as decorative objects, hunted for decorated eggs, were provided with long lei making needles attached to one invitation so the guest could bring an original lei to be judged in a contest and much more...including a "Stomp on Cancer Party!".

The last invitation received was handwritten in red ink and invited us to "Please come for Valentine Making Sunday Feb 3, 1PM-5PM (drop in kine) Sue's House - (phone number) - Red Refreshments"

The refresments were red as promised, including the Coeur a la Creme and Raspeberry Coulis which was my contribution.

The huge rainstorms we have had lately (if you watch CNN from any where in the world, you probably saw many parts of Hilo underwater with ducks swimming in some of the main downtown intersections) kept some of the guests from coming, but the ones who made it had a great time!

Gabriel and Lizby working on their Valentine cards

Sue, Cindy and Laurie working across the table working on theirs...

 

One of Cindy's cards

One of Lizby's cards

Sue had loads of supplies and goodies for us to choose from....paper, fabric, lace, cloth flowers, stick-ons, magazine cut-outs, ribbons, a miniature playing card deck all featuring the heart suit...colored pencils and pens, water colors and brushes, red glitter and goodness knows how much more!

One of Gabriel's creations

Envelope and front of the card I made for my mom...

The plain red card stock is laminated with a piece of paper in red graphics and cut to fit on one side, then the complete card was covered in antique lace and the Valentine glitter word pasted on top of the lace.

The back of the card for my mother - the word LOVE and my name in glitter with a magazine cutout of an old fashioned doll.

Heart shaped box covered and decorated by Laurie

Sue's jig-saw girl card

Unfortunately the lighting from the flash was not enough to light the whole room....but here is the group (minus the camera person ....ME) enjoying our Sunday afternoon making Valentines for our near and dear, while the rest of the country watched the Super Bowl...

Quilting in Hawaii

Our island is home to several quilting groups.   Some of them concentrate mainly on traditional Hawaiian quilting designs, which are quite unique (I will do a post sometime soon about this beautiful form of textile art), and others are a bit more eclectic in their approach, but even so, they are not like the old traditional quilts of old.

During the month of January, the Wailoa Center Gallery by the Wailoa Park in Hilo, is presenting a "Still Havin' Fun After All These Years" Fabric Fun Quilt Show.  It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM except on Wednesdays which they open from Noon to 4:30 PM until January  30th.

The exhibited quilts are the creations of the Village of Volcano Quilters group: Edna Arkawa, Lora Bristow, Roberta Baker, Susan Carpenter, Deborah Donaldson, Patricia Dow, Marilyn Hiestand, Dina Wood Kageler, Loretta Pasco, Vanessa Sales, Zee Sarr, Rosemary Stancampiano, Toshi Taylor, Katry Tripp and Irene Tye.

I wish I had room to feature works by each of these gifted ladies....unfortunately there were too many, so I chose a few that represented our island best.

Picasso Quilts Pu'u O'o by The Volcano Quilters Group - one member sketched the design on paper and cut it in pieces, each member took a section and gave it their own interpretation - The group is trying to sell this quilt for $3000 as a fund raiser to help with staging shows and other projects.

Pu'u O'o is the vent on the East flank of Kilauea Volcano that has been spewing lava since January 1983.

Rainforest - $1,200 by Marilyn Hiestand wovenwind@hawaii.rr.com

Bird of Paradise - $250 by Deborah Donaldson MsQuiltBee@aol.com

Watching the Ferns Grow - NFS by Susan Carpenter VolcanoSusan@yahoo.com

Kimono Quilt - NFS by Edna Arakawa yukiearakawa@yahoo.com

Lava Star - $425 by Deborah Donaldson MsQuiltBee@aol.com

Mangos - $375 by Loretta Pasco quilthawaiian@hawaii.rr.com

Ohelo Berries - NFS by Loretta Pasco quilthawaiian@hawaii.rr.com

Surf at Sunrise - $1,000 by Lora Bristow kuahiwi1@hotmail.com

SPAM - NFS by Loretta Pasco quilthawaiian@hawaii.rr.com

The State of Hawaii as a whole consumes more SPAM than any other state or territory in the United States, so of course, I had to end the gallery stroll with this quilt, a replica of the SPAM can art

Wailoa Center Gallery is located on Piopio Street in Hilo just past the Vietnam Memorial off Pauahi Street - below the County and State Buildings -808/933 - 0416

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year!

Another year passing and a brand New Year is open to all sorts of wonderful possibilities.

Two of my favorite fireworks available in Hawaii for celebrating the New Year are the Chinese Happy Lamps and the paper Frienship Pagodas.

Tonight, we set up a rope across a section of the yard and had fun with our Happy Lamps, lighting several at one time.

The Happy Lamps signify guidance and light for a good year.

The Happy Lamp

The Friendhip Pagodas are lit in memory of a friend, living or dead.

Friendship Pagoda

Happy New Year to all!

May your New Year be full of light and friendships!

Hawaiian Christmas Wreaths

One of the prettiests customs of Christmas in Hawaii is making wreaths using native materials. 

If you don't have some of the plants growing in your yard or a neighbor that will let you pick them you need to get a special permit to go up to the Hawaii National Volcanoes Park grounds or up on the slopes of Mauna Kea to pick some of the greens, flowers and berries.

The permit is free and good for two days, and you need to display it on your car dash if you park anywhere to pick along the roads or forests.

The proper protocol for picking is to first "ask permission" of the forest deities as you enter the woods.  This is a must.  You also pick only what you will be using and not strip a bush or plant completely. 

A good rule of thumb to follow is to take only from 3 to 6,  3" tips from each plant, so as not to disturb the plant.

The straw forms for the wreath are usually covered first with ti leaves

We might not have the 'traditional' greens, berries and pinecones associated with a mainland Christmas, but there are many beautiful greens, flowers and berries to choose from when you go foraging for your own wreath material in the forests of Hawaii.

Some of the materials I usually look for are the buds of the lehua blossom showing a bit of the red and also some of the blossoms.  The lehua is the blossom of the ohia tree and in ancient times was a symbol of strength.  The flower is the favorite of Madame Pele and represents the Big Island of Hawaii.

Ancient lore tells us that you must not pick or wear the lehua blossoms on your way up to visit Kilauea Volcano, but it does not forbid you from picking or wearing it when you arrive or on your way out of the forest or Madame Pele will make it rain.  We always wait to pick them until we are almost ready to leave.

Another wonderful part of the ohia tree to use are the tender new tips of branches as they resemble velvety green or silver rose buds.

Uluhe and palapalai, laua'e, and whisk ferns are often used in the making of the wreaths, as well as 'club moss' and a ferny looking moss that resembles little clusters of chenille pipe cleaners.

The berries and the tiny, sort of prickly leaves of the pukiawe plant are also used.  The berries can be red, pink or white even on the same bush and the use of bits of this plant give your wreath a light airy look.

Another berry and leaves that are interesting to use is that of the 'ohelo, although we rarely if ever pick them in areas where the Hawaiian Nene, our State birds, make their home, because they like to feed on them.

Other plants such as the Uki grass are also used, especially when the "flower heads" have dried.

One of the perks of making Hawaiian Wreaths with all native material is that they usually dry well and can last a long time..long past the holidays.

If you buy the wreaths already made, they can run from $40 - $60 for one made on a 10" to 12" frame and up to $125 for a large one made using a 14" to 16" frame.

I missed going up to the slopes of our mountains this year in time to pick for making wreaths as I had planned, mainly due to weather conditions.  We have had a lot of rain in the last few weeks and I dislike driving the Saddle Road (between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa) as the road is quite curvy and can be dangerous in the rain.  You can see a sample of one of my wreaths here

I hope you enjoyed looking at the different styles of Hawaiian Christmas Wreaths!

Mele Kalikimaka to you and yours!

Christmas Blooms at the Farmer's Market

Last Saturday we visited the Hilo Farmers Market just to take photos of the colorful array of fruits, veggies and flowers.  The whole market was teeming in a riot of colors and looked as if it had dressed up just for the Holiday Season.

I shared some of the photos of fruits and veggies taken that day in an article at Gather.com TROPICAL TASTE - Hilo Farmers Market at Christmas Time

I wish all of you a very "Mele Kalikimaka" and thank you for dropping by to read and look at my posts.  Here is my Christmas Gift to all of you....May it provide you with joy and pleasure!

Midori - Lime Green and Pink Anthuriums

Anthuriums are lovely to use anytime of year, but they seem so much more alive and colorful to use during the holidays!

Awapuhi is the name for ginger in Hawaiian.  The Pine Cone or Shampoo Ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) or Awapuhi Kuahiwi reflect the colors of the season.

As I walked through the market, each bunch of flowers called to me...I took dozens of photos and wish I could share them all!

The Heliconiacae family consists of a huge genus of heliconias in many colors and shapes. 

Some blooms stand straight up and some dangle- some look like they are made of wax and others look slighly fuzzy.  They are all beautiful!

With names like "Lobster-claw", "Sexy Pink", "Wild Plantain", "Parakeet" , the whole family of heliconias is a very colorful one.

Bright Christmas Red Anthuriums.  In the past we have decorated our Christmas trees with these blooms.

Also called Classic South American Red Anthuriums, these are the most familiarly known by the most people.

The Pink & Green Tropic Ice  is a type of Obake Anthurium which are the largest blooms in this family.

As with the Heliconia genus, the Anthurium ia also part of a huge family of flowers.  Many different colors, combination of colors and sizes.  A big advantage is that they last so long in arrangements.

 

Red Gingers - none of the gingers shown in these photos are the edible ginger.

Of the hundreds of ginger plants in existence, only the Zingiber officinale and the turmeric or Curcum longa, cardamon and galanga are edible.

There are many varieties of gingers growing in Hawaii.  The Red Ginger Alpinia purpurata seems to be the most prolific.  Cone or flower heads can run from almost shell white, through several shades of pink to deep red.

The flower most associated with the Christmas Holidays is the Poinsettia.

Poinsettias are native to the Americas, originally from the Pacific Coast of Central Mexico and Guatemala.

Named after the first U.S. envoy to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who first introduced it to the United States in 1825.  The Poinsettia is also called Flor de Noche Buena (Noche Buena is what people of Hispanic descent call Christmas Eve, so the translation would be Bloom or Flower of Good Night or Christmas Eve)

May your Christmas Holidays be filled with many, many blooms!

...and visions of Sugarplums dance in their heads...!

 

We recently visited the Big Island Candies showroom and factory for the first time in several years, with the idea of doing some gift shopping for several mainland members of our family and friends...and were blown away with the place, so we decided to go back the next week after making an appointment to learn more about the history and background of the place!

On the year of their 30th anniversary, and after three locations, the legendary institution found the perfect place for their permanent quarters in 1998, after building a modern showroom and baking kitchens.  This is the sole location for a business that ships to all of the islands and world-wide.  Anywhere UPS goes, said Malcolm Murasaki, our knowledgeable host during our recent visit.

Originally founded in 1977 by Allan Ikaiwa, Big Island Candies manufactures all their cookies and candies in house using island products from macnuts to island grown coffee and chocolate.

The original shortbread cookies that made them famous are still available, as well as new products added every year.  The newest to their line is the shortbread cookies dipped in lemon icing.

With about a 100 employees year round and more added during special times of the year, this is even better than a Willie Wonka chocolate factory... Their in-house designer changes decorations according to the season about every three weeks or so... It is worth visiting on a regular basis just to see how the  showroom store is 'dressed up'.

All their cookies and candies are made in-house, many handmade.  The ice cream sold in the retail section is also made with their products, such as the Chocolate Brownie and the Coffee Chocolate Ice Creams. 

Specialty packaging is made just for them, many designed by local artists, such a Sig Zane who this year introduced his third design and much of the packaging designs change with the seasons such as Valentines, Spring, Fall, Holiday and Winter.

Visitors are greeted at the door with a sample of "cookie of the day" and "chocolate of the day" and an offer of 100% Kona coffee to enjoy as you stroll through the showroom and shop.

As you walk through the showroom and store you can see employees in the factory section behind huge glass windows, dipping cookies or adding chocolate squiggles with a decorator's icing sleeve.

Boxes and tins are tastefully arranged in bins and shelves, tables and counters...  We had a hard time deciding what to choose...but actually, it should not be a problem...everything and anything you select is delicious and fresh.

If you can't visit it in person...no problem!  Call them or visit their website to get your name on their mailing list and receive periodic catalogs.... Some items in the store are not available through the catalog, but the catalog offers a huge variety, including Da Kine (a favorite Hawaiian expression meaning 'anywhere, anything, everything') products and even sign up for a Gift of the Month Club.

Do I sound like a commercial??? We were just sold on the place and did not receive payment... unless you can say that a couple of sample treats were payment ;-)

Big Island Candies, Hilo, HI - 800/935-5510 - www.bigislandcandies.com

.....and specially for my friends at Gather.....lookit what I found!!!

This visit and a couple of things we did recently (Savor the Season concert at UH-Hilo for one) were a great start to our Holiday Season!

The Makahiki - or the original Hawaiian Time of Thanksgiving

 

Back since ancient times, hundreds of years before the Pilgrims even existed, there has been a Hawaiian custom of observing the Makahiki.

Makahiki means New Year (the Hawaiian greeting for Happy New Year is: Hau'oli Makahiki Hou) but it also signifies the period of time when the Hawaiians would put aside wars and work and celebrated the harvest and their blessing with cleansing, feasting, games and much more.

Unlike our own Thanksgiving, the Makahiki was not observed for just one day....it lasted between 4 to 5 months starting sometime between October and November and ending between February and March...it all depended on "The Pleiades", a cluster of stars that appears in the eastern sky close to sunset sometime in late October....the "Time of the Makahiki" lasted as long as you could see The Pleiades in the sky. 

The Makahiki was observed as an homage to their god Lono who was the god of fertility and abundance and though details of the celebration varied slightly from island to island, they all featured Lono as the center of the feasting.

We commonly call the Pleiades the 'Seven Sisters', although the cluster is composed of about 500 hundred stars unseen by the naked eye, and they usually appear in the sky during the harvest season and have been associated with harvest even as far back as during the time of Homer who mentions them in The Illiad written about 750 BC.  According to Robert Burnham's book (Celestial Handbook:An Observer's Guide to the Universe - 1978) they were seen in connection to the agricultural seasons of that time.

Burnham also points out that the name "Pleiades" may be derived from either the Greek word for "to sail", or the word "pleios" meaning "full" or "many".   

It is amazing to me that the early Hawaiians associated the "Pleiades" with full or many (plenty) and that they carried banners, which looked like sails made of kapa (tapa) cloth on poles as they progressed in processions from settlement to settlement all around the island in honor of Lono.

Some people even put the first mention of them earlier than that, but it has not been proved.

By the way, the name of The Pleiades in Japanese is "Subaru".  The Japanese telescope on top of Mauna Kea on the Big Island is appropriately called The Subaru.

A traditional Hawaiian Makahiki Blessing:

As it has been through time, may this season of Makahiki be a time of new growth and rejuvenation for you physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.

To learn more about Makahiki, please click on the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makahiki

http://www.hawaii.gov/hidocs/makahiki.html

http://www.moolelo.com/ancient-celebration.html

http://www.kaahelehawaii.com/pages/culture_makahiki.htm

Hau`oli Lâ Ho`omaika`i - Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Sonia

Hamakua Alive!

As part of the 'Eat

Hawaii Island

Grown' challenge during the month of October, the first of what will turn out to be the annual Hamakua Alive! Fest was held Saturday, October 27th at the Pa'auilo Elementary and Middle School grounds in conjunction with the school's annual Blue & White Fundraising Fair.

Showcasing the bounty of the

Hamakua

Coast

, the event was exciting and a lot of fun, with early promises of becoming the foodie happening on the East side of

Hawaii Island

for years to come.

The idea for this event germinated several months ago from a conversation during a dinner party at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company dining room, where three farmer friends and their wives were discussing the growing issue of sustainability and the variety of foods that could be found already growing on the

Hamakua

Coast

.

As any of us who has planned any type of event knows, it takes more than just an idea and many people working together to make it happen. To this effect, several more people were contacted and as the idea caught on, several more meetings were held with more and more farmers and other food producers, chefs, food writers and interested parties joining in.

The result was Hamakua Alive! Each of the following farmers, growers and producers were there manning booths with samples and tastings of their products. Food samples ran from $1 to $3 each for what was more than generous portions.

Chefs from two of the Kohala hotels were performing magic preparing wonderful food using the locally grown products. I can attest that

the food was delicious!

Hawaii Island Goat Dairy from Ahualoa, owned by Dick and Heather

Threlfall was represented with an assortment of samples of their different flavored chevre; plain; dill-garlic, chipotle pepper, Tocoro (manzana) pepper and their best seller, macnut basil pesto.

Assisting Dick Threlfall was Jim Zampathas, publisher and creator of

Hawaii Conscious Living, a quarterly magazine, in partnership with his wife Nancy who serves as editor, was passing out copies of their

Fall 2007 issue. info@hawaiiconsciousliving.com

The High Country Protea Farm from Honoka'a owned by Anne St. Johns and Richard Berman was also represented with a beautiful arrangement using an assortment of protea and silver dollar eucalyptus.

The Long Ears Coffee Company also from Honoka'a was represented by their owners Wendell and Netta Branco with an assortment of coffee and coffee tastings, mugs, T-shirts and other products their company produces.

The Hawaii Tea Society was well represented by two tea growers and producers;

The Onomea Tea Company of Papaikou booth was manned by partners Rob Nunally and Mike Longo offering tastings of a variety of the teas they have been growing and processing at their farm overlooking beautiful

Onomea

Bay

. At this time they offer oolong, black and green tea and hopefully soon they might be able to produce enough of their delicious white tea to offer for sale.

The Mauna Kea Tea Garden located on the slopes of

Mauna Kea

in the

Waimea area was represented by owners Kimberly and Takahiro (Taka) Ino. Three of their teas were offered for tastings.

JJ Meat Market in Honoka'a owned by David de Luz was represented by Jill Mattos, general manager and her husband Roy Mattos, Dougie, Ku'ulei and Lita, showing an ample selection of beef cuts from 100%

Hawaii Island

grown grass feed beef. Their booth was offering samples of teriyaki beef on sticks and spam musubi as a plate lunch.

The musubi was part of the fund raising effort by the school.

Volcano Island Honey Company owned by Richard Spiegel of Honoka'a was showcasing their certified organic and rare white honey. Displayed were samples and tastings of the original plain white and also Winter

Honey; White with Ginger, White with Liliko'i, White with Lehua

Blossom honey and also beeswax tapers.

The Hawaiian Vanilla Company of Pa'auilo was represented by husband and wife team, Jim and Tracy Reddekopp displaying an assortment of both culinary and toiletry products made from their own

Hawaii Island

grown vanilla beans including Roselani Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Hawaiian Vanilla Lemonade and Hawaiian Vanilla Coffee.

As main organizer and chair for the event, Jim was also busy running all over the campus tending to every minute detail and sharing duties with Hawai'i County Councilman Dominic Yagong as part time emcee.

The Hamakua Heritage Mushroom Farm of Laupahoehoe owned by Robert and Janice Stanga showcased samples of their Brown Hon-shimeji, Pepeiao, Kea Hon-shimeji, Grey Oyster and Ali'i Oyster mushrooms. 

Anchoring between the Vanilla Farm and the Hamakua Mushroom booths was Executive Chef James Babian from The Grill, The Fairmont Orchid Hotel's signature restaurant. His rich and earthy Hawaiian Vanilla Lobster Bisque and the Sautéed Hamakua Heritage Mushrooms were big hits with the crowd.

The Wailea Agricultural Group owned by Michael D. Crowell and Leslie

Hill is located in Wailea, between Honomu and Hakalau on the lower eastern slopes of

Mauna Kea

. Growers of several tropical fruits including Meyer Lemons, avocados, lychee, and rambutan among others, they are also the largest grower of fresh heart of palms in

America

.

Their booth was offering two dishes created by Sous Chef Will Queja from the Four Seasons Resort. Heart of Palm, Watercress and Baby

Bok-Choy Kimchee and delicious Crab, Sweet Corn and Heart of Palm deep fried fritters served with a drizzle of Thai Spicy Sweet Chile

Glaze.

As part of the event there was a pie and jams and jelly recipe contest. One of the rules was that locally grown fruit had to be used in the recipes presented for judging.

The judges for the contest were Councilman Dominic Yagong, Chef James Babian and Anthony Mathis. The judges seemed to be having a very good time tasting the offerings. Anthony, who is my son, later mentioned that even with just small tastings he was later bouncing off the walls due to all the sweets….!

Winners of the contest and prizes were:

Pies & Cakes Category

1st Place - Christine Young – Liliko'i Cheesecake - $100.

2nd Place - Emma Reddekopp - Hawaiian Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Pie -$75.

3rd Place

- Elizabeth Glenn – Liliko'i Cream Pie - $50.

Jams & Jellies Category

1st Place - Pat Anderson – Liliko'i Plus - $100.

2nd Place - Noah Glenn - Keanakolu Apple Butter - $75.

3rd Place - Mistuko Uyeda – Liliko'i Butter - $50.

Live entertainment was provided by a mother and son duo from Kea’au; talented 16 year old ukulele prodigy Kris Fuchigami and his mother Keiko at the electric keyboard. Keep your eyes and ears open for more from this talented young man.

Lots going on in Hamakua and I predict this event will grow every year....If you're a farmer, grower or producer of any food product in

Hamakua, please make plans to join in next year.

Already the date is set for October 25, 2008 - Harvest Moon!

Mark your calendars and for more information, please contact:

Jim Reddekopp at the Hawaiian Vanilla Co. - 776-1771

Hawaiian High Tea at the 'Imiloa Cafe

The pleasant custom of taking a leisurely tea in the afternoon was adopted by Hawaiian Royalty between the mid and the late 1880's even though it had long been the practice of the British families who first settled in our islands in earlier years.  There are several hotels and Inns around the different islands who continue the tradition of serving a Hawaiian High Tea to this day.

Although to the British the term High Tea refers to an evening meal, to the Hawaiian Royalty who adopted the custom if meant a very substancial repast consisting of a big assortment of fancy finger foods and decadent desserts, and that is how it is still known today.

 

On a recent Sunday afternoon we attended a Hawaiian High Tea at the 'Imiloa Cafe.  The event was a collaboration between ‘Imiloa Café, Joseph Figaroa of the Figaroa Collection on

Kiawe Street

in

Hilo, who was exhibiting his new line of handbags,

and Kate Johnson, a tea expert and importer of tea from all over the world.

The guests tasted seven tea blends during the event and each blend was explained by Ms Johnson as the staff served at the tables.

 

The tea selections were:

Pink Palace Garden Palace: Black & Green tea- Jasmine & Earl Grey notes.

Hunwal: 2nd Flush Estate Black Tea

Russian Caravan: a Toasty (smokey) Black Tea

Mim: 2nd Flush Estate Darjeeling

CO2 Decaffeinated Assam: India Black Tea

Creamy Earl Grey: Sri Lanka Black Tea with hints ofBergamot and Vanilla

Rainbow Rooibos: South African Rooibos harmoniously blended with Cornflower and Calendula Petals

Each table was decorated with a glass bud vase and a ceramic or porcelain tea pot.  A printed card listing the tea selections was also available on each table.

The delicious food was the inspiration and creation of ‘Imiloa Café Chef Rebecca Cook and her staff using as much of the Big Island's produce and products as possible.

 

Chef Cook’s passion for food becomes obvious as soon as you tasted the goat cheese tarts, sausages wrapped in curried puff pastry, choux paste tidbits filled with crab salads, mini scones with fresh cream and delicious mini Russian tea cakes.

 

Small open face sandwiches were made with local poi and guava bread garnished with thinly sliced cucumbers and tissue paper thin slices of Hamakua grown tomatoes.

The 'Imiloa Cafe is located at the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center just above the University of Hawaii at Hilo Campus.