I promise this will be the last food post of this trip, but I must explain the Loco Moco once each trip.
This is not my first mention of taro and the role of taro in Hawaiian culture. I encountered a new use of taro yesterday. I assume it involves the use of taro flower. We discovered the Holy Grail Donuts. We had visited the establishment previously, but had been looking for coffee and must not have read the menu carefully.
Holy Grail sells $4 donuts. Do these donuts justify the cost? I guess this depends on what you are looking for. The donuts are made while you wait and I think part of the experience is the value of a hot donut. If you don't agree, I encourage you to taste the difference between a warm and a cold Krispy Kreme. Holy Grail also subscribes to the Apple approach to packaging. If you purchase a four pack (4 for the cost of 3), you get a nice box with a decal. Wasteful, but pretty. The following images contain a description of the four donut options which are part of the foodie approach. You should be able to read the descriptions if you click on the menu image to enlarge. It is kind of like a high end restaurant experience with multiple courses that in this case you experience on a picnic table.
I don't get the surfer crowd. I get anyone occasionally taking to the slopes or the sea, but not those who work low end jobs so they can spend as much time as possible at what I would consider a hobby, but they seem to treat as a life style. They get up early. The use their phones to examine the latest wave conditions. They drive old pickups with racks or even bikes with board carriers on the side. I don't understand the obsession.
There is a related fringe group I also don't understand. When the waves are high, you can usually spot at least one photographer with a huge lens, a beach chair, and an umbrella on the shore taking photos and videos. The two groups are co-dependent and often seem to know each other. The investment of time and money in really high end equipment (just the tripods some use) suggests there must be an outlet for the photos and video. I know the surf sites and the sports shows include plenty of media, but are these guys (no women photographers in my observations) paid or competing to be paid for their content. As far as selling to the general public, I wouldn't think new photos would be necessary. A spectacular photo from last year would seem as pleasing as a photo taken this year (Getty surf photos). Maybe it is important to capture recognizable athletes (or Mark Zuckerberg).
I know you call the skilled individual who cuts up beef or pork a butcher. Do you call the folks who cut up fish the same thing? I have watched foodie shows focused the Japanese focus on sushi and the money spent for one large tuna. I know our local fish store does not pay the same prices, but the fish are big and cutting them up fascinating to watch. Although it could be quite entertaining, it is not exactly like watching me cleaning a walleye.
Limes are an essential ingredient in guacamole and gin and tonics - both staple on the island. Limes are not expensive and you can purchase a large bag for a few dollars at COSTCO. However, it is more fun to pick your own and we have a tree located outside the front door of the condo we use. One interesting thing about limes is that they grow in bunches. They start like a bunch of of grapes and then just get larger. Olive is responsible for selecting the limes and preparing the guac.
Another interesting farmers' market discovery - steamed sticky rice cakes (rice, coconut milk, banana) prepared in banana leaves. I am guessing this is Thai, but other Indonesian countries have a similar delicacy.
I am constantly amazed by the magnitude of the biomass this island generates. The gardeners that maintain the plants that surround the condo we stay in are constantly picking up fronds and trimming one thing or another. Most areas are not patrolled by gardeners who keep the pile of plant stuff from accumulating. A few examples from today's walk.
