Kaua'i - Hawaii - page 1082

potato; ʻopihi , tiny mollusks called limpet that are picked off reefs at low tide; pipi kaula
(beef jerky); and haupia, a coconut-cream custard thickened with arrowroot or corn-
starch.
Hawaii Regional Cuisine
Hawaii was once considered a culinary backwater. That is, until the early 1990s, when a
handful of island chefs - including Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi, Sam Choy, Bev Gannon
and Peter Merriman, all of whom still have their own popular local restaurants - created
a new cuisine, borrowing liberally from Hawaii's multi-ethnic heritage. These chefs
partnered with island farmers, ranchers and fishers to highlight fresh, local ingredients,
and transformed childhood favorites into gourmet Pacific Rim masterpieces. Suddenly
macadamia nut-crusted mahimahi, miso-glazed butterfish and lilikoʻi (passion fruit) any-
thing were all the rage.
This culinary movement was dubbed 'Hawaii Regional Cuisine' and its 12 pioneering
chefs became celebrities. Back then HRC was rather exclusive, found only at destination
and resort dining rooms; its hallmarks were Eurasian fusion preparations and elaborate
plating. By the 2000s the focus began shifting toward island-grown, organic, seasonal
and handpicked ingredients. Upscale restaurants are still the mainstay for star chefs, but
now you'll find neighborhood bistros and even plate-lunch food trucks serving dishes in-
spired by HRC.
Hawaii's Locavore Movement
A whopping 85% to 90% of Hawaii's food is imported. Now, a growing number of
small-scale farmers are trying to shift the agriculture industry away from corporate-scale,
industrialized monocropping (eg sugar, pineapple) enabled by chemical fertilizers, pesti-
cides and herbicides. Instead, family farms are growing diverse crops for high-end res-
taurants and also for sale locally, including at busy farmers markets.
Recent scientific and state governmental reports suggest, unsurprisingly, that an in-
crease in production and consumption of locally grown food will benefit Hawaii in four
areas: food security (popularly called 'food sovereignty'), the regional economy, the vi-
tality of the land and water, and community pride. Furthering these goals is a grassroots
political campaign to label and even exclude GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
from the islands' food supply chain.
But building a solid consumer market isn't easy. Locals tend to buy whatever is
cheapest and often balk at paying for fruit they see falling off neighborhood trees. Super-
market chains typically prefer to stock blemish-free Sunkist oranges and California
grapes. An exception is the Big Island's KTA Superstore, a mini-chain that carries 200