Hawaiianology

When a friend from Chiba Prefecture, Japan had come to the islands for an exchange she wasn’t thinking of artisan mochi, but when she was learning about the Hawaii scene for mochi she was expecting something close to a Wagashi shop. Maybe a long alley way that had shops on both sides in the traditional Japanese way that had nice cases of mochi with glass coverings, but what she stepped into was closer to a hole in the wall shop. It was a bit of boredom, culture shock, and recognition that there was nothing but the types of beans that would be familiar, but all the rest, it wasn’t Japanese at all. It was mochi that was being made in a way that was pretty foreign, so she thought about it with the approach with the large amounts of sugar that was in the mochi rice for more than a subtle sweetness, but in comparison it was too sugary. Why do they add so much sugar to it? Do they eat mochi with green tea? And why are there other sweet things in the mochi? Those answers would come as she lea...

The mochi factories that people would go to had shut down, like Homemade Bakery where they were known for their mandu and mochi. Some of the smaller shops didn't have a social media account or announcement that was out to the public and they silently vanished from the streets. People started to realize with all of the places that had their treats vanishing they would have less choices and have to turn to making their own. Rather than coming to the counter and being asked “Manju” or “Mochi”, the sweets would have to be made with the family. But it wasn’t anything mindblowing, but it was something that was soft textured and tasty when it was chewy fresh. The powder would coat the mouth and the memory would be part of growing up, so people could remember before there was supermarket packed bentos of mochi, but specialty ones that were picked from a nice selection window. It was the mochi of families, so it was part of the cooking from the past and stayed in the present without much mo...

Mochi Pounding (jp.Mochitsuki), it happens in preparation of the New Year celebration in Hawaii and is done either with a Traditional Japanese Wood Malley or Mochi Machine. It is not exclusive to the Japanese in Hawaii, because as many other traditions have integrated and changed over time in the islands the mochi pounding gathering is no exception. With mochi pounding comes other traditions like Hawaii New Years Soup (Ozoni) and Good Luck Mochi Stack (Kagami Mochi). In Japan there would be a ceremony called “Kagami Biraki” (鏡開き), translated as "opening the mirror", where the mochi would have enough time exposed to the elements that it would become as hard as a rock and shattered with a hammer as it was the "breaking of the mochi". It is a Japanese traditional ceremony held on January 11th that would symbolize the shattering of our old soul and starting anew for the remaining year. It has become a New Years tradition of families who celebrated Cultural things, from ...

Mochi would be apart living with one another, outside forces would make things unbearable for all who lived in the islands while painting it as paradise, but people would have their contributions to mochi making as it strayed farther and farther from its original form. Looking from the market shelves or a snack that was at mom or dads office, there was always mochi somewhere to be found, but this was also beside malasadsa and kulolo that were the sweet staples. It's typical in Hawaii that people tend to have a race related identity crisis as they learn that they have become something far different than what they have been told from their supposed home-country, so they dive deeper into things like mochi. Even if they did a study on their family history, the blood lines, and the journey the family has been on its the mix that keeps things sticking together, because it's about understanding what they have become a part of, not what they gave up, and that it's about understandi...

Let’s pound the mochi The sound of flattening Kneading it, Sugaring it, Localize it Rolling it, Making it, Shaping it Fill it up, yessah, it’s done! Some get beans, some get treats Some get all kine things for eats  Life is uncertain, so eat dessert first! -Hawai’i Island Hilo Boy As more properties are bought up from Japanese Companies looking to come in, or Mainland Companies looking to extract, there are few places that are able to keep their roots. It can be the last day for a business and in the local fashion people will not get much of a chance to go before they choose to throw in the towel, because that's the humble way to go out. These places the story is typical, the landscape has been built for the larger companies, and the people need to get their bites in before another place bites the dust. The farther and more inconvenient places have a better chance, so passing the larger residential areas, the larger commercial spaces there can be good times ahead. After a long day ...

Some people may call it a breakfast, or some might call it the breakfast served at lunch, and some may even call it the hamburger volcano of gravy and eggs, but it's the Hawaii comfort food called the Loco Moco. A Loco Moco consists of: the rice, the gravy, the patty, the eggs, and the toppings. The patty had been a burger, however as time went on many sorts of ingredients were used and shaped like a patty, such as: formed patties, meatloafs, and seasoned seafood pokes. Originating from the Big Island it has become a staple at many plate lunch restaurants and has no association as a breakfast plate, which makes it a great choice at any time of day. There are several categories for Loco Moco and that is: Sauteed Patties (1), Grill Patties (2), Fried Patties (3), Seafood Patties (4) types. When heading out to either a restaurant or a loco moco shop there maybe some confusion with the words “Loco” as a shortened way to say loco moco or “Moco” that sometimes refers to non-patty dishes ...

Description: Karai Crab (2012-2025) was a Hawaii casual dining restaurant that was located in Moiliili area near Hausten Street on Oahu. The company would operate out of the historic Willows Restaurant. The Willows would inspire Karai Crab with its own mission: “To share aloha in a special gathering place creating lasting memories for all”. The founders were Jon Shimotsukasa, Garret Kamei and chef Miles Miyamoto who were all alumna of the Legendary "The Willows Restaurant". The designs were made by Wall to Wall Studios Inc for the brands visual identity with wall art known as "Laws of the Claw". Etymology:  Karai Crab – meaning “Spicy Crab” – was what was used for the logo direction of the original drawing of a excited cute crab with fire in its mouth that looked like a fiery furnace. Later on the logo would evolve with this description to a fire like color themed good luck daruma crab sort of logo when they changed there design once again. Customer favorites were t...

“Our motto was ‘first, best and only.” It was considered a place to get the fancy clothes and was middle-end store and some things there were high-end. The smell in the air conditioning seem to have this sort of crisp linen smell to it almost like smelling new clothes. People knew the Liberty House label on the clothes and had a feeling that it would last longer than other brands and that it would soon hold some nice memories to it.  Liberty House had buyers so that they would go and check to see if there were any quality products and they would evaluate them, but a lot of that changed when Macy’s would tend to sell leftovers from other stores or cheaper brands. Liberty House would support all sorts of local artisans where there were sculptures, paintings, wood works, painted glass, and it would have locals and visitors alike stopping by to see and buy those beautiful works of art… after Macy's took over..they slowly pushed each of them out until there was none of those artisans le...

Island Holidays For generations, the name "Hawaii" has evoked images of white sand beaches, lush mountains, and a spirit of unparalleled warmth and hospitality. Behind this idyllic façade, countless individuals and companies have worked tirelessly to craft the visitor experience, transforming dreams into cherished memories that last a lifetime. Among them, a company named Island Holidays played a vital, yet often unsung, role, serving as the heart of Hawaii's Travel Industry in the tourism industry from the East and the West.    The Dawn of Hawaii Tourism: A Landscape Awaiting Connection To understand Island Holidays, we must first journey back to the early and mid-20th century, a transformative period for Hawaii. Before the advent of mass air travel, visitors arrived primarily by steamship, a journey that was itself an adventure. The "Golden Age" of Hawaii tourism is often cited as the 1920s and 30s, when elegant Matson Line passenger ships brought eager travel...

Gravy Fried Saimin is a type of saimin dish made by stir -frying boiled saimin with ingredients such as onion, carrots, cabbage, pork, and seasoning it with shoyu-dashi sauce and oil. It is a saimin dish that originated in Hawaii. It is different from many other Country Fried Saimin Noodles as there are a wide variety of saimin dishes with a type focusing on Okuhara-type noodles and flavored with sauce that was served in Okazuya-style take-out counters after 1965. Other similar saimin dishes will also be explained to make sure there is a Hawaii Saimin Guide.

Hawaiian Creamsicle Cake, an Hawaiian creamsicle cake is a Hawaii dessert that started from the American Orange Creamsicle Cake and made it into a layered cake. It aimed to replicate the flavors of the classic orange and vanilla ice cream treat by Meadow Gold Ice Cream Orange Dream Bars that were from 1950. The cake does not have ice cream in it, however there are also Hawaiian Ice Cream Cake variation that brings Vanilla-Orange sherbert to the party. It typically features a moist, orange-flavored cake paired with a vanilla or orange-vanilla creme flavored frosting or filling. Some recipes incorporate zest, juice, or even Jell-O for a more pronounced orange flavor. The frosting is often a light and airy buttercream or whipped cream, mirroring the creamy texture of the creamsicles vanilla center. The Popsicle, was pioneered by Frank Epperson in 1905 and the Creamsicle by the Joe Lowe Company after they acquiring the Popsicle brand. They then would go on to feature a vanilla ice cream ce...

Roy Ramey “Skill Roy” was his street name and as some who referred to his legacy he would be known by some on the mainland as “The Father of Hawaiian Breakin” a legend among the Hawaii Hip Hop world and the World in general. He got his start from seeing his sister’s son do a routine of a dance move called “Locking” and got inspired and wanted to do it more from a Michael Jackson performance, but there was no one wanting to teach him. He then started to do another dance that would come to Hawaii, which was “Popping” where there was the robot feeling and anti-gravity feel of moonwalking. And then another dance would come out… it would be soon after he would be introduced to “Breaking” for the first time. In 1983 where the Wizard Bboys Crew had leader Tricks invite Crazy Legs from New York to do a performance in Hawaii to introduce the people to what was then a new dance called “Breaking”. “Skill Roy has so much Aloha for everyone. Even when he was at the top of his game he took the time ...

Paul Taber “The Hawaii Rooted Restaurateur“ was a Hawaii Restaurateur, Talent Finder, and Business oriented thinker who analyzed local Hawaii Hospitality methods with a focus on Restaurant techniques. His approach was based on that of The Weaver Brothers, two of the restaurateurs that gave people pride in Hawaii Restaurant Establishments; Taber’s achievement was to focus and develop employees who had a humble and family-style to them, in particular a few standouts were Gordon Yoshida, Bobby Hirasa, and others. On the mainland he was nicknamed The Hawaii Rooted Restaurateur as he would refer to his time, experiences, and values based on being deeply rooted in the way of life he found, respected, and adapted to as a resident. Taber was part of a circle of preeminent figures in the Hawaii Restaurant scene during the 1960s as he helped build with others a burgeoning hospitality industry that had enormous potential if it was kept intact. From the Korean War to Hawaii Taber was born and rais...

Geoffrey Arakawa "The Seafood General" was part of the famous Arakawa Family in Waipahu. His grandfather, also quite famous, was Zenpan Arakawa, founder of the famous Arakawa Store. In this part of time there was rich plantation culture and skilled cooks that started their careers in the area. He is one of the most respected chefs where old time customers will trek to the places he has been featured for some of Hawaii’s best seafood dishes and has been called Master Chef Geoffrey Arakawa. He has been known to be a master of seafood and a legendary chef that has rigorously worked to refine his taste to make dishes that spoke to the customers. He grew up with an ocean that had plentiful sandy beaches and in the deeper parts was teeming with an abundance of seafood to be caught that would make it to the market at the ports.  There is one man who knows all there is to know of that world from spending time enjoying the water to creating dishes with the seafood in water and is know...