Breadfruit -- From Tree to Table Workshop
A lunch featuring breadfruit was provided by Café Pesto.
A half-day chockfull of ‘ulu workshop was held on the morning of May 10th, at the Ho’oulu Lahui site of the Kua O Ka La Public Charter School at Pu’ala’a, located next to the ‘Ahalanui County Park warm ponds in Puna.
The presentations were aimed at backyard and commercial growers, entrepreneurs, chefs and home consumers.
Each of the six presenters, authorities in their field, presented a half hour demonstration or lecture, and the participants rotated through each presentation in groups. So at the end of the morning, all participants had been able to attend all six presentations.
The morning ended with a delicious lunch, featuring an assortment of dishes made with breadfruit, prepared and provided by Café Pesto in Hilo under the direction of Executive Chef Casey Halpern.
These were the six presentations:
A young man practices pounding 'ulu into pa'a 'ai with guidance by Kumu Nick Kala Francisco.
Cultural Perspective - Breadfruit and the cultural importance in Hawai’i, along with a poi pounding demonstration. A presentation by mahi’ai and educator Nick Kala Francisco. The attendees were encouraged to participate in the poi pounding.
Ian Cole of the Breadfruit Institute.
Tree to Table - Harvesting techniques, tricks, tools, and postharvest handling, as well as how to tell when breadfruit is ready to harvest. Presented by Ian Cole, Collection Manager for the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden.
John Cadman of Pono Pies.
Some Like it Sweet - Making gourmet dishes from ripe breadfruit and how to turn breadfruit into a commercial enterprise. Demonstration and presentation by John Cadman, owner of Pono Pies in Maui, who demonstrated how he made ‘ulu chocolate pudding, hummus and pies for the retail market.
Auntie Shirley Kauhaihao of Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu.
Beyond Sticky - Basic Preparation and Handling: how tell when breadfruit is ready for the different uses; how to prepare for use in a variety of dishes or for storage. Presented by Shirley Kauhaihao of Ho’oulu ka ‘Ulu. Shirley demonstrated how to peel, steam, boil, bake or roast breadfruit. Samples of breadfruit seasoned with inamona and Hawaiian sea salt and served as a snack, were passed around for tasting.
Kumu Mariposa Blanco of Kua O Ka La.
Gourmet to Home Cooking - exploring favorite local recipes and new ways to cook with breadfruit. Attendees were able to sample a variety of dishes made with breadfruit; ‘ulu empanadas with an assortment of fillings, ‘ulu quiche and ‘ulu poke, a winning recipe in the Sam Choy Poke Contest. Presentation by Culinary Kumu Mariposa Blanco of Kua O Ka La Public Charter School.
Craig Elevitch of Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu.
Going to Market - Where to sell breadfruit? How much to charge? What kinds of value added products are viable? A presentation by Craig Elevitch of the Hawai’i Homegrown Food Network and Ho’oulu ka ‘Ulu project.
The Breadfruit -- From Tree to Table Workshop was presented by Ho’oulu Lahui, Kua O Ka La Public Charter School and the Ho’oulu ka ‘Ulu - Revitalizing Breadfruit Project. The workshop was funded through a grant from the County of Hawai’i Department of Research and Development.