Locavore Week Recap

Two hundred years ago the Hawaiian islands provided food for as many as a million people using a system of land and ocean management known as ahupuaʻa.¹ In 1778, English explorer Captain Cook's arrival in Hawaii touched off a wave of imports that continues to this day. Before then, everyone was a locavore because that was the only option.

A lot has happened since Captain Cook's arrival. There have been waves of disease, immigration, new ideas and tourists. The biodynamic and sustainable elegance of the ahupuaʻa was replaced with drastically inferior plantation farming. Our population has continued to grow. Where taro was once a primary staple for Hawaii, it is now grown in a few commercial farms and in the scattered loʻ of tradionalist kanaka maoli. Wealth has soared and big box stores have set-up shop. All of these changes have been factors in a shift from subsistence agriculture to an island group that now imports 90% of it's food.

When I decided to try eating nothing but locally produced food for seven straight days, I knew I'd have to make a few sacrifices. I didn't expect it to be as hard as it was. The biggest problem wasn't the availability of good food options but my own stubborn spirit. I didn't like having to give up food from elsewhere. I'd grown comfortable with my French cheeses, my American breakfast cereals and my cheap Chilean wines. Don't tell me what to eat!

It wasn't until I embraced the foods of this ʻāina that eating locally began to be... fun. It was fun to breakfast on tropical fruits and cook fish fresh from the sea. I had a sense of triumph when I found local dairy and produce hidden among the sea of imported options. And I realized that eating locally tasted better too. Everything was so fresh.

It only took a week to convince me that eating locally is not only possible but preferable. There will always be exceptions like rice and spices that come from afar, but so much of what I need on a daily basis is available right here in my own backyard with higher quality than the alternatives.

The initial week is up; the experiment is done. The habits formed during that time are lasting. Now when I walk through the produce aisle I'm more aware of all the local options, and you'd better believe I'm buying them.

Some foods are easier than others to acquire in Hawaii. This is what I've found...

Fruit and Vegetables
By far the easiest edibles to acquire locally are the fruits and vegetables and they taste a thousand times better. There's just no way to compare a tomato from Mexico with one from the Big Island. The former had to be picked a week early so that it could spend ten stifling days at sea in a shipping container before finally making it's way to a tasteless pile at the supermarket. The latter was picked two days earlier (or less), is juicy and bursting with flavor.

Local produce is best found at farmer's markets, but you can spot local options even at the large chain supermarkets. If it was grown here, chances are very good that it'll be labeled as such. When in doubt, ask.

Meats
Hawaii has several cattle ranches, pig farms and chicken farms to supply a small portion of the meat demands of her people. You may be surprised to learn that 75% of the cattle raised in Hawaii are shipped to the Mainland, never to return. It is more cost effective to send the cattle to California for their final fattening up than to ship tons and tons of grain here.

For beef, I've found the North Shore Cattle company to be good. Grass-fed Kulana beef has outstanding flavor--I've heard Umeke carries it retail. Pork and chicken can be found in numerous groceries if you keep your eyes open.

Fish and Seafood
Fish can be hit or miss. Certain varieties (akule, opelu, aku, opakapaka, etc) are generally available from local sources, but there are many more brought from Chile, New Zealand and the North Atlantic. Shrimp can be great as long as you make sure they're from here and not flown in. Some shellfish can be had locally but stocks are generally depleted.

The freshest fish and best selection will be at specialized fishmongers and rather than at the larger supermarkets. I prefer the Chinatown markets or Tamashiro's.

Dairy
As I understand it, only Meadow Gold still operates a dairy in Hawaii, and not everything they sell under their brand originates here. Check the label.

Cheeses are in short supply, but some goat cheese is produced on the Big Island. Other than that, I'm not aware of a thing. Seems like this is a good market to be tapped...

Beverages
Juices can be found. Various sodas are bottled here using ingredients from across the ocean. Several breweries and wineries are offering ever-improving libations. There's even a vodka produced on Maui.

Coffee is the big winner. Kona beans are world famous for good reason--offering unparalleled smoothness at an unparalleled price--yet coffee is grown on each of the other islands as well. Watch out for blends that use 10% of a local bean because all you'll be tasting is 90% of something else. Buy 100% local if your wallet can afford it.

Rice, Grains, Spices
Rice, wheat and most spices just aren't grown in Hawaii. I'm guessing it comes down to the yield per acre or something. For now we have to buy our rice, bread and curry from overseas.

I hope that helps, and good luck!

You can still catch up on all seven days of locavore week.

¹ The Western concept of "management" is a something of a misnomer. A Hawaiian proverb describes the relationship better, "He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka," loosely translated as, "The land is a chief; man is its servant." (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, 531)