As you cross the bridge coming into Hanalei on the north shore of Kauai, the first thing you see is a wide swath of green taro fields, spread across the Hanalei Valley. Farmed by the Haraguchi family for five generations, the fields are situated on the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge which is home to a variety of endangered birds, including the Hawaiian nene and moorhens.
Taro, a root vegetable brought to Hawaii by Polynesians, was a primary starch in the traditional Hawaiian diet and continues to be a cultural touchstone. If your only association with taro is the poi you once had at a luau, a tour of the Ho’opulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill and Taro Farm will go a long way in giving you a new appreciation for this tuber.
Coming into town, on your right you’ll see the Hanalei Taro and Juice Company truck. They serve plate lunches and taro-based eats, including smoothies, hummus, taro burgers, mochi cake and kulolo, a baked taro pudding. This is where you’ll meet up on a Wednesday morning if you’ve reserved a spot for a tour of the rice mill and taro farm (advance reservations required).
The morning we took the tour, it was blazingly sunny, and it was easy to imagine what it would be like working in the fields under the hot Hawaiian sun, tending this labor-intensive, hand planted crop. But not all days are so sunny, and with the incredible amount of rain that falls on Mount Wai’ale’ale, major flooding four or five times a year is almost a given.
Hawaiian nene on the move.
The form of taro most of us Mainlanders are familiar with is poi, a cooked, pounded and slightly fermented mash. It’s not necessarily something that appeals unless you’ve grown up with it. Luaus don’t help, often offering mass produced purple poi in enormous bowls. On the tour, you’ll get a different taste of taro as farm foreman Paul does a quick taro mash with a pohaku ku’i ‘ai (poi pounder) and shares what I’ll call taro truffles rolled in freshly shredded coconut.
And when I say fresh, I mean fresh.
Once you’ve checked out the fields and the rice mill, you’ll head back to the truck for plate lunch, included in the cost of the tour. Choices include: a turkey sandwich, taro hummus veggie sandwich, pork or chicken lau lau or kalua pig. If you haven’t gotten your fill of taro products at the truck, you can also try the taro fritters at Postcards Cafe in Hanalei or pick up a bag of taro chips from the Hawaiian Chip Company.
Ho’opulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill & Taro Farm
Tours: Wednesday mornings, reservations required.
808-651-3399 or email haraguchiricemill[AT ]gmail[DOT]com
