LIHUE — Island growers, fruit sellers, cooks and the general public are invited to register for the “Breadfruit from Tree to Table” workshop Jan. 11. The half-day session will cover how to grow, harvest, prepare and market this important food
LIHUE — Island growers, fruit sellers, cooks and the general public are invited to register for the “Breadfruit from Tree to Table” workshop Jan. 11.
The half-day session will cover how to grow, harvest, prepare and market this important food crop.
“We are excited to offer this workshop to the community in response to increasing interest in this heritage crop,” said Dr. Diane Ragone, director of the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Breadfruit Institute. “It offers something for everybody — the grower who wants to know how to get the best product to market, the chef looking for new ideas in preparation, or someone simply looking for hands-on learning about breadfruit for their personal use.”
Registration is $12 per person and is recommended in advance due to limited space. Early registrants will also have the opportunity to secure a breadfruit tree through a small donation.
The workshop, part of the Hooulu ka Ulu project, will be held in the Education Center at NTBG Headquarters in Kalaheo from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Registrants are asked to first complete a simple presurvey at http://hawaiihomegrown.net/breadfruit-workshop. Inquiries by phone may be made to (808) 756-9437.
The Kauai offering is the last in a series of four workshops presented by NTBG’s Breadfruit Institute and the Hawaii Homegrown Food Network. Presenters will include Dr. Ragone and Ian Cole of the Breadfruit Institute; John Cadman of Pono Pies, Maui; Craig Elevitch of Hawaii Homegrown Food Network and cultural practitioner Wayne Palala Harada.
“More and more people are expressing a desire to grow, cook, or enjoy ulu as part of their everyday diet,” Ragone said. “In addition to learning just how to do that, participants will gain a deeper understanding of why ulu is a sustainable tropical solution to hunger and food independence not only for Hawaii but for other parts of the world as well.”