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Where
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(Musa
paradisiaca) Long
ago, Hawaiian women were severely punished for eating a
banana. No more. Interesting to watch the blossom unfold and
turn into hands of fruit. The 'apple' banana you can find in
local stores and health food shops is our
favorite. (Artocarpus
altilis) Beautiful,
indented glossy leaves make this tree easy to spot. The big
green, lobed fruit is baked or boiled and even made into
chips. (Cocos
nucifera) Coconut
palms are everywhere. For Pacific Islanders, they were the
staff of life, providing food, shelter,clothing and so on.
Stop at a roadside stand for a drink of fresh coconut
water.
(Psidium
gualava) Guavas
are a weed plant that grows in fields and along the highways
on the Road to Hana. Pick the bright yellow fruit a little
soft. They're sweet and tasty but acidic. Scrape out the
pink flesh, strain and you have juice. Forget taking any
back to the mainland with you. They are loaded with fruit
flies. (Passiflora) The
form of the flower suggested the sufferings of Christ to
Spanish settlers of America. They are a common sight and the
fruit juice used in many refreshing drinks. (Colocasiaspp.) Brought
in canoes by the Polynesian settlers, taro was and still is
the Hawaiian starch. The root is peeled, boiled, mashed and
fermented into poi. This one (there are 200 varieties) is in
the Kepanawai Gardens in the Iao Valley. .
Pineapple Pineapples
were brought here from Brazil in the late 1700's and soon
commercialized. There are about 14,000 acres in cultivation,
spread out along the slopes of the volcanoes. You can tour
the canneries and take a tour into the fields, if you
wish.
(Ananas comosus)
Sugar
Cane
Early Hawaiians brought the first sugar cane but the sons of
missionaries commercialized it, bringing water from Hana
side to irrigate the fields. Just before harvesting, the
fields are burned to get rid of everything but the stalks
which are hauled to the mill for crushing. The cane fires
are spectacular but the smoke and little flakes of blackened
leaf (Maui Snow) are polluting. The price of the sweetening
on your cereal.
