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Okinawan Sweet Potatoes

Okinawan Sweet Potatoes are a unique variety of sweet potato with purple flesh. In Japan they are called Beni Imo for purple sweet potato. Surprisingly Okinawan sweet potatoes are not from Japan or Japan's southern islands known as Okinawa. They are actually from Central and South America.

Sometime between the 15th and 17th centuries, Okinawan sweet potatoes were brought from the Americas to Asian and eventually made their way to Japanese dinner tables. The Japanese found many creative ways in which to use this delicious purple potato. The most famous dish is

Okinawan Sweet Potato Tempura.

Around the mid 1800’s waves of Japanese immigrants mostly from Okinawa came to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations. With them they brought Beni Imo. Eventually the Beni Imo became known as Okinawan sweet potato to the people of Hawaii.

Today the majority of the Okinawan sweet potatoes are grown in Hawaii on the island of Molokai. Locals in Hawaii usually bake them in the oven or on the Hibachi because they taste great without anything added. We all know about Okinawan Sweet Potato Tempura but over the last 10 years Okinawan Sweet Potato Pie has become the new rage.

When buying your Okinawan sweet potatoes don’t forget to check for holes in the skin. The holes mean that worms have made their way into the flesh. Worm infested Okinawan sweet potatoes are bitter and inedible. You can’t even cut away the bad portions because for some reason the worms emit some sort of chemical that ruins the whole sweet potato.

Who can blame the worms for feasting on Okinawan sweet potatoes? Not only do they taste very good but they are good for you and highly nutritious. Their high fiber content and low glycemic index makes it a great alterative for people watching their carbohydrate intake and trying to lose weight. I know a few National Level Bodybuilders who used Okinawan sweet potatoes to diet for contests.

In the next few posts we will talk more about this miracle food so stay tuned.

Hawaiian Salt Meat

Hawaii Salt Meat is made from the salt curing process. Salt removes water from the meat which means that bacteria cannot grow on the meat and make it rot. This is how the meat is preserved and cured. So if the world were to end tomorrow you at least know of one way to keep your meat from spoiling.

As a kid I remember eating Hawaiian Salt Meat with watercress and onions. 75% of all watercress in Hawaii is supplied by Sumida Farm, which is sandwiched between Pearlridge Shopping Center and Pearl Harbor. This patch of green amongst buildings and concrete gets its crystal clear water from the Pearl Harbor Aquifer.


Hawaiian Salt Meat

Any fresh raw meat
(such as beef or pork or fish), cut in slabs or chunks
10 pounds Hawaiian salt
Bucket with airtight cover
Pack sliced meat in layers of salt in bucket, starting with salt on the bottom. Seal bucket and store in a cool, dry place. Pour out bloody liquid from bucket daily until no liquid remains (3 or 4 days), resealing each time. Can be eaten after 3 or 4 days, or store for months.
To use, boil salt meat twice or more, discarding water after each boiling. Then, add to stews, soups and other dishes, such as stir-fried salt pork and cabbage.

Kulolo: Hawaiian Taro Pudding

Kulolo is Hawaiian Taro Pudding. This brown treat is very delicious and good for you. Its taste is hard to explain and something you will just have to try for yourself. Many people like Kulolo because it is not too sweet.

Besides being good for you and ono some people claim the natural chemicals in Kulolo make you feel calm and relaxed. There is no scientific proof to back it up but I have witnessed on several occasions where Kulolo has managed to calm people down and diffuse what normally would have been explosive situations.

Kulolo is hard to make and grinding the taro is a chore. I usually try to buy Kulolo from one of the Hawaiian restaurants I mentioned in my earlier posts or the seafood section of a nearby supermarket. Kulolo is not seafood but for some reason it is always found in the seafood section in Hawaii supermarkets probably because Hawaiian food such as poi, poke, laulau, kalua pig etc are usually sold in the seafood section.

If you are the ambitious type try this recipe below.

Cooking Time: 240-360 minutes
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

• Ti leaves*
• 2 cups peeled and grated raw taro**
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Spray PAM non-stick cooking spray on a loaf pan and line with ti leaves.

In a medium bowl stir together grated taro and brown sugar.

Add coconut milk, melted butter and vanilla. Make sure you mix well.

Pour into loaf pan and cover tightly with ti leaves and steam Kulolo for 4 to 6 hours. Cool and serve.

*You may use Saran Wrap instead of Ti Leaves or a combination of both if you prefer
** When grating the taro it is probably a good idea to use rubber gloves as the calcium oxalate from the taro corms may cause your hands to itch. Some people partially cook the taro before grating to break down some of the calcium oxalate. The taro is cut into chunks before boiling. Just make sure not to over cook the taro.

Recipepapa Loves Highway Inn Too

In earlier posts we mentioned Young’s Fish Market & Ono’s on Kapahulu Ave. We didn’t forget about Highway Inn because their Hawaiian food is right on par with Young’s and Ono’s. The only problem for tourists is the location. Hawaii’s terrible traffic situation makes driving out all the way to Waipahu not so fun. However if you are already planning on going to the Swap Meet, a UH football game or the Pro Bowl, you should definitely try to include Highway Inn in your plans. Highway Inn is only a few miles down the road from Aloha Stadium. Some people claim their Hawaiian Food is the best on Oahu.




A youtube video from one of the Toguchis.


View Larger Map

See not too far from Aloha Stadium.

1. Head northwest on Salt Lake Blvd toward HI-99 W/Kamehameha Hwy 0.2 mi
2. Take the 2nd right onto HI-99 W/Kamehameha Hwy 4.2 mi
3. Continue on Farrington Hwy 2.6 mi
4. Turn right at Leoku St
Destination will be on the left 0.1 mi

Hawaiian Tripe Stew

Tripe is the inner lining of the stomach of cattle, hogs or sheep. What people normally cook in Hawaii is beef tripe. There are three types of tripe, and the one most Hawaii locals prefer is honeycomb tripe because it is the most tender and mildly flavored of tripe. If you were wondering, honey comb tripe is the cow’s second stomach.

Tripe stew is a common dish served at Hawaiian restaurants and at luaus. Tripe is known as poor man’s food and its popularity in Hawaii cuisine is not surprising considering most locals are descended from plantation workers and laborers. Hawaiian Tripe Stew goes especially well with poi, Maui onions, and chili pepper water.

Ingredients
1-2 pkgs. Honeycomb Tripe
3 tsp baking soda
2 large yellow onions, cubed
6-8 c. water
1 6oz. can tomato paste
4 jumbo potatoes; peeled & cubed into lg. pieces 3 large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut into 1" pieces.
1 TBSP Hawaiian salt
1 tsp black pepper
2-3 tsp. cornstarch *optional
Cooking Instructions

Rinse tripe well in cool water. Place in a large pot with enough water to cover the tripe and add baking soda. Parboil for 30 minutes. Drain and cool trip. Cut into bite size strips.
Place tripe, water and onions in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, and add tomato paste. Stir, cover pot and let simmer for 1-1 1/2 hrs or until tripe the tripe is almost tender and slightly chewable. Add potatoes, carrots and celery to pot. Cover & simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. If the stew isn’t thick enough you make a slurry of equal parts cornstarch and water and stir that it. Add in salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another 5 minutes making sure to keep stirring to prevent sticking. Finally remove pot from heat & let it sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Long Rice

On Jan. 3, 1852 the first group of Chinese immigrants arrived in Hawaii to fill labor shortages on sugar plantations. With them they brought the dish we now know today as Chicken Long Rice. Though Cantonese in origin, Chicken Long Rice has be come a staple in Hawaiian Cuisine. It is impossible not to find Chicken Long Rice on the menu at Hawaiian Restaurants or your typical Hawaiian Luau.

The ingredients of Chicken Long Rice are easy to find with the exception of bean-thread noodles, aka cellophane noodles, aka "long rice". Long rice can be found in the Asian food stores or the Asian section of your supermarket. As far as this dish goes, there is no substituting of long rice. Long rice is transparent and has a unique texture that cannot be duplicated. The long rice noodle is also extremely important because it really absorbs the flavor of the dish. Chicken Long Rice won’t be Chicken Long Rice without long rice noodles so if you can’t get your hands on these unique noodles don’t bother. On a final note, make sure to not overcook the noodles.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb chicken thighs
3 quarts water
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger root
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 chicken bouillon cubes
8 oz long rice
3 green onions, chopped

Procedure:
Put chicken into a five quart saucepan. Add two quarts of the water, the salt and ginger. Bring to a boil, skim, lower heat, and simmer for forty minutes. Remove from heat and drain, saving broth. Remove meat from chicken, discarding bones. Shred meat and set aside. Put broth, onion, bouillon cubes and the remaining one quart water into saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add long rice, then lower heat and cook, covered for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand about 30 minutes. With kitchen shears, cut long rice into approximately 3- or 4- inch lengths. Stir in chicken and heat briefly, if desired, before serving. Sprinkle with green onions. Makes 6 to 8 servings.