Culinary Stories from a New Market

These days, “Buy Local” is part of mainstream grocery shopping in Hawai‘i, and food-lovers know to look for island labels on bananas, egg cartons, grassfed beef, and more. But the Buy Local concept has taken on new and more delicious significance recently, at the Culinary Market in Queens’ MarketPlace. Happening 3:30-6 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, the Culinary Market offers farm-fresh produce, along with select products that showcase Hawai‘i agriculture in a variety of creative ways—all grown or made on the island.

More than that, what the Culinary Market offers is stories.

Take for example ‘Akaka Falls Farms near Honomu, run by Steve and Corinne Stefanko and their ‘ohana. This award-winning business grows almost all of the fruits that go into their 100+ different preserves, marmalades, butters, and honeys—including 8 citrus varieties, 10 different guavas, and 50 other fruits, peppers and herbs. Crops are processed fresh and made into products in small batches of 30-60 jars. Even the artwork on their beautiful labels is local, created by Waimea artist Kathy Long and her late mother Mary Koski, Karen Dougharty-Spachner, and photographer Warren Finz.

If Akaka Falls Farms is a salute to fruit, Hawaiian Hotties is an homage to the Hawaiian Chili Pepper. Rob and Lynn Rostau grow 100% of the little red peppers used in their spice mixes, cocktail kits, “Chocolate Heat,” hot salt, hot sugar, and spicy popcorn. A former healthcare provider, Rob touts the numerous health benefits of these chili peppers, including joint pain and inflammation relief from the capsaicin, improved digestive health, increased metabolism and many more.

Hawai‘i Tart Co. in Kealakekua has many stories. Its owner-operators are Martha Brahm (one of the first women to attend the Culinary Institute of America), her partner Lynne, (former English Ladies Golf Champion), and son Matt, (executive sous chef most recently from Memphis). Their 5-acre farm not only grows excellent macadamia nuts, but cinnamon, allspice, clove, star fruit, Surinam cherry, liliko‘i, makrut lime, and calamansi for their artisan tarts, savory pot pies, granolas and more. Their signature Honey Caramel Macadamia Nut Tart is made with a “secret family recipe,” utilizing Hawai‘i Island ingredients in a classical French pastry technique. They also run a tea farm in Volcano, and Matt’s available for private cheffing.

The story of Misma Lani Farms, in the South Kona community of Honaunau, is one of an immigrant family from Mexico who came to Hawai‘i Island to work in coffee agriculture. Owner-operator Victoria Magana tells how her father Andres managed a coffee farm here for over a decade before new property owners terminated him over paperwork issues. With determination, he and friends renovated an old coffee mill and began a successful processing business. But after eight years, he was deported, and went back to Michoacán, Mexico. Victoria—an American—was left running the business, which she had never dreamed of doing.

“I decided to face the reality of the plight of my community,” she says on her website. “Living in the shadows was something my parents had to do to survive but I did not. I had a voice and so Misma Lani Farms was born.”

“Misma Lani’s purpose is to exemplify that Latinos are capable of triumph despite the obstacles. As the backbone of agricultural America, we rarely see those faces on the retail end of products—taking ownership of their labor. Misma Lani aims to inspire you to chase your dreams despite the obstacles ahead.”

All that, and a very fine 100% Kona Coffee too.

These are just four of the 20-some farms, food purveyors, and storytellers who come together for the Culinary Market. In fact, talking story is a major feature of the bimonthly event, as stories, culture, food and human connection are shared one-on-one. Organizers hope to give the communication/education component of the market more attention in the future, by presenting speakers and talk-story programs onstage at the Coronation Pavilion. But right now, there is entertainment in the form of live music around the shopping plaza, a beer garden sponsored by Waikoloa Shrimp Co., and of course the usual tasty selection of restaurants and Food Court eateries in Queens’ MarketPlace.