Food & Drink

Pineapples, Papayas & Other Island Fruits

Lanai isn't growing pineapples commercially anymore, but low-acid, white-fleshed, wondrously sweet Hawaiian Sugar Loaf pineapples are being commercially grown, on a small scale, on Kauai as well as the Big Island. That's just one of the developments in the rapidly changing agricultural landscape in Hawaii. The litchilike Southeast Asian rambutan; longan (Chinese dragon's-eye litchis); 80-pound Indian jackfruits; the star fruit; the custardy mangosteen; and the usual mangoes, papayas, guava, and lilikoi (passion fruit) make up the dazzling parade of fresh island fruits that come and go with the seasons.

Papayas, bananas, and pineapples grow year-round, but pineapples are always sweetest, juiciest, and most yellow in the summer. Although new papaya hybrids are making their way into the marketplace, the classic bests include the fleshy, firm-textured Kahuku papayas, the queen of them all; the Big Island's sweet Kapoho and Puna papayas; and the fragile, juicy, and reddish-orange Sunrise papayas from Kauai. Sunrise fans claim they're sweeter, juicier, and more elegant than all others. Apple bananas are smaller, firmer, and tarter than the standard, and they are a local specialty that flourish throughout the islands.

Litchis and mangoes are long-awaited summer fruit. Mangoes begin appearing in late spring or early summer and can be found at roadside fruit stands, markets, and health-food stores (where the high prices may shock you). My favorite is the white pirie -- rare and resinous, fiberless, and so sweet and juicy it makes the high-profile Hayden seem prosaic. A popular newcomer is the Rapoza mango, a fiberless, 2-pound fruit fairly new to the islands, yet already earning raves for its sweetness and resilience.

Watermelons are a summer hit and a signature of Molokai and Oahu. In Hawaii, more watermelons are consumed per capita than in any other state. Kahuku watermelons, available in the summer months, give the popular Molokai variety a run for its money. Juicy, fleshy, and sweet, Kahuku watermelons are now grown primarily in Waialua on Oahu's north shore, while production of the Molokai variety has expanded to central Oahu. Most markets sell these bulging orbs of refreshment throughout summer and early fall.

In the competitive world of oranges, the Kau Gold navel oranges from the southern Big Island put Sunkist to shame. Grown in the volcanic soil and sunny conditions of the South Point region (the southernmost point in the United States), the "Ugly Orange" is brown, rough, and anything but pretty. But the browner and uglier they look, the sweeter and juicier they taste. Because the thin-skinned oranges are tree-ripened, they're fleshy and heavy with liquid, and they will spoil you for life. Although these oranges have traditionally been a winter fruit, they're appearing more abundantly year-round.

Ahi, Ono & Opakapaka: A Hawaiian Seafood Primer

The seafood in Hawaii has been described as the best in the world. And why not? Without a doubt, the islands' surrounding waters, including the waters of the remote northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and a growing aquaculture industry contribute to the high quality of the seafood here.

The reputable restaurants in Hawaii buy fresh fish daily at predawn auctions or from local fishermen. Some chefs even catch their ingredients themselves. "Still wiggling" or "just off the hook" are the ultimate terms for freshness in Hawaii.

Although some menus include the Western description for the fresh fish used, most often the local nomenclature is listed, turning dinner for the uninitiated into a confusing, quasi-foreign experience. To help familiarize you with the menu language of Hawaii, here's a basic glossary of island fish:

ahi -- yellowfin or big-eye tuna, important for its use in sashimi and poke at sushi bars and in Hawaii Regional Cuisine

aku -- skipjack tuna, heavily used by local families in home cooking and poke

ehu -- red snapper, delicate and sumptuous, yet lesser known than opakapaka

hapuupuu -- grouper, a sea bass whose use is expanding

hebi -- spearfish, mildly flavored, and frequently featured as the "catch of the day" in upscale restaurants

kajiki -- Pacific blue marlin, also called au, with a firm flesh and high fat content that make it a plausible substitute for tuna

kumu -- goatfish, a luxury item on Chinese and upscale menus, served en papillote or steamed whole, Oriental-style, with scallions, ginger, and garlic

mahimahi -- dolphin fish (the game fish, not the mammal) or dorado, a classic sweet, white-fleshed fish requiring vigilance among purists because it's often disguised as fresh when it's actually "fresh-frozen" -- a big difference

monchong -- bigscale or sickle pomfret, an exotic, tasty fish, scarce but gaining a higher profile on Hawaiian Island menus

nairagi -- striped marlin, also called au; good as sashimi and in poke, and often substituted for ahi in raw-fish products

onaga -- ruby snapper, a luxury fish, versatile, moist, and flaky

ono -- wahoo, firmer and drier than the snappers, often served grilled and in sandwiches

opah -- moonfish, rich and fatty, and versatile -- cooked, raw, smoked, and broiled

opakapaka -- pink snapper, light, flaky, and luxurious, suited for sashimi, poaching, sautéing, and baking; the best-known upscale fish

papio -- jack trevally, light, firm, and flavorful and favored in island cookery

shutome -- broadbill swordfish, with beeflike texture and rich flavor

tombo -- albacore tuna, with a high fat content, suitable for grilling

uhu -- parrotfish, most often encountered steamed, Chinese-style

uku -- gray snapper of clear, pale-pink flesh, delicately flavored and moist

ulua -- large jack trevally, firm-fleshed and versatile