Local Flavor

Fresh, tasty and packed with nutrients, island produce is prized by visitors and locals alike.

- Lois Leinani Whitney

Fruit stands, farmers markets, supermarkets and locals who like to share the “fruits” of their labor, can offer an abundance of amazing Hawai‘i produce. Here is just a sampling of the rainbow of “localicious” goodness that awaits the savvy visitor, along with a few tips on what to look for.

AVOCADO

With their smooth texture and buttery goodness, locally grown avocados are a perfect match for guacamole, sandwiches and salads. Flowers are pollinated by honeybees and other insects, whose life work is complemented by Hawaii’s volcanic soil to produce delectable pears, as locals refer to them. Favorites include the green-skinned Sharwil or the black-skinned Haas.

BANANA

As common in Hawaiian backyards as they are in commercial production, bananas are a perfect snack on-the-go. Individually packaged in their own wrapper, these starchy fruits are only 1% fat. Humans should learn from our monkey friends that the easiest way to peel a banana is from the end OPPOSITE the stem. A simple pinch and, voila, peel away the skin!

COCONUT

When is a nut not a nut? When it’s a coconut, which is actually a seed. Okay, to get technical, botanists will call it a drupe, but such an obscure term certainly does no justice for one of the most versatile plants brought by the Polynesians who first settled these islands. From one humble tree comes electrolyte-infused water, milk, cream, oil and ‘meat’ for eating; the husk, palm fronds and wood are used for a multitude of purposes from cultural practices to shelter.

DRAGONFRUIT (Pitaya)