LIHU‘E — The tangerines sold out for the American New Year, but there were still tangelos, grapefruits and naval oranges, Glenna Ueunten said Friday at the Kaua‘i Sunshine Market at the Vidinha Stadium parking lot. Citrus was one of the
LIHU‘E — The tangerines sold out for the American New Year, but there were still tangelos, grapefruits and naval oranges, Glenna Ueunten said Friday at the Kaua‘i Sunshine Market at the Vidinha Stadium parking lot.
Citrus was one of the many products that were popular, coinciding with the celebration of Chinese New Year, which this year fell on Monday.
“We even have leaves on the citrus,” Ueunten said. “Maybe we should charge extra for the leaves?”
Ueunten said the leaves demonstrate the freshness of the product to shoppers, but in their cultural use for the new year celebrations, leaves must be on the citrus.
Citrus shapes and colors symbolize the sun and connect with the yang principle, which represents the positive element and generative force in nature, said Terese Tsu Barholomew on the Chinese Parade website.
Oranges are considered auspicious fruits and important symbols for the new year. Citrus fruits are consumed in higher quantities during the Lunar New Year celebration period than at any other time of the year, states the Sunkist.com website, which offers citrus recipes by Master Chef Martin Yan.
But that was not on the list for Kathy and Chuck Kovala who had just arrived from Nisswa, Minn.
They were looking for carrots. Finding none, they settled for papaya, assorted greens and citrus, stopping at the Rainbow Garden truck after visiting Daniel Soto, who was doing such a brisk business, he had no time to quench his thirst in the warm afternoon air.
“They had a problem with those a while back on the Mainland,” Kathy Kovala, a watercolor artist, said. “It was 13 degrees when we left and now that we’re here, we’re hungry.”
Soto was busy handing out and collecting as fast as he could. Mung bean sprouts were clearly the shoppers’ favorite at his booth, with spurts of requests for alfalfa and Crispy Mix.
“When I got into this business two years ago, I never realized how wild it can be,” Soto said. “If I decide to not show up on one day, the shoppers scold me.”
In addition to the Lihu‘e Sunshine Market, Rainbow Gardens is also at the Monday Market at Kmart, the Kapa‘a Sunshine Market and the Gourmet Market at The Shops at Kukui‘ula on Wednesdays, Vidinha Stadium on Fridays and in Hanalei on Saturdays. Rainbow Gardens offers freshly-grown clover, sprouted garbanzo, broccoli/clover blend, radish and sunflower sprouts in addition to the popular mung and Crispy Mix.
“Tuesdays and Thursdays are for planting and harvesting,” Soto said.
Terry Phillips, the county’s monitor for the sunshine market, said in addition to citrus, the kale, broccoli and all the choi are in full production, with the rambotan just making its appearance.
Jude Huber was attracting a steady stream of shoppers to her truck filled with freshly-picked rambutan, a product she has been growing for about 10 years.
“This year, because of the summer weather, the crop is a little late,” said Huber, who has 187 trees on her Moloa‘a farm. “I just started picking full-time about three weeks ago, and it looks like we’ll have fruit through March.”
Among the people in search of local bargains, Peter and Cheryl Boyenko of Saskatchewan, Canada, looked at the exotic fruit. Cheryl’s arms were laden with protea grown in Koke‘e by Ken Yasutake.
“This is a relative of the litchee,” Huber said, freely offering samples to the couple. “You peel the skin, pop the clear part in your mouth and discard the seed. This is probably the most photographed fruit in the market.”
Peter, after finding out they could use the clusters as decorations for several days before eating the fruit, was sold.
“This is terrific,” the Canadian said. “This is the first time we’ve been to this market, but we’ll be back since we’re here until the end of February.”
Visit www.kauai.gov for a complete listing of the county’s sunshine market locations and times and www.kauaicommunitymarket.org for more information on the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau-coordinated markets at Kaua‘i Community College and The Shops at Kukui‘ula.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
