Hawai‘i's Rainforest
This course, which we call "Hawai‘i's Rainforest," is reflective of ingredients you would find in our rainforests, particularly along the Hāmākua coast, where Chef Brian spent lots of time at his grandparents' farm.
Hāpu‘u
Hāpu‘u is a type of wild, native fern rich in tradition and history.
Hāpu‘u, also known as kakuma, was a critical food source during times of famine in ancient Hawai‘i. When being prepared, the shoots can emit noxious fumes which can burn the eyes and throat.
Kuware Sida
Fiddlehead ferns have been a popular food source for millennia around the world. In Hawai‘i, there are several types of edible ferns called by various names.
The fiddlehead fern so often eaten locally in salads is an introduced, invasive fern named Kuware Sida, which is commonly mistaken for the native hō‘i‘o.
Locally, many Japanese refer to the introduced fern as warabi, but in Japan, warabi is actually the name for a type of bracken fern.
It is also known locally as pohole (Maui) and pako (Filipino).
Takenoko
There are over 50 species of bamboo (ʻohe in Hawaiian) found in Hawaiʻi, and two types are considered to be canoe plants. The most common of the two, Bambusa vulgaris, is used in this dish.
Bamboo was used to make instruments, water vessels, brushes, mats, and more.
For this course, bamboo shoots, or takenoko (bamboo child in Japanese), is served in this course.
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