Moloka'i No Ka Oi

My Family comes from Moloka'i on my fathers side, and Maui on my mothers...so I would split my summers between the two islands...at my Tutu's in Ho'olehua Moloka'i and at my Granny's outside Paia town on Maui. I have fond memories of both..but since Moloka'i is going through such a harsh wildfire battle right now I thought I'd put some positive images and memories of a simpler time and place..at my Tutu's Homstead in Ho'olehua.

I remember camping at Mo'omomi beach, watching my Tutu and aunties wade out into the tide pools and pull up all the different kinds of seaweed from the rocks that they would eat with poi...Limu ele ele that looked like longs strands of soft hair....Limu Kohu...which looked like little soft pliable branches..I wouldn't appreciate how rare and special those delicacies were till I was much older...on rare occasions the Pantela pancake man would come by the house and make these huge pantela pancakes..which I guess in retrospect was just a big crepe..but it seemed less facy and more fortiified back them smothered with butter and guava jelly it was sooooo good. 

But nothing NOTHING topped the midnight runs to Moloka'i bakery...to the side door to get fresh baked out the oven Molokai bread...sometimes baked with Guave Jam in it..or cheese....it was like Christmas as a kid...to come back to camp and smell the huge pot of hot chocolate that was brewing to dip the pig peices of bread in....it is SOOOO GOOOD. 

I tried to explain to someone what the appeal of the Molokai bread was...it is just a big loaf of white bread but it is shaped like a okole ( or butt) and the crust is soft...it's not sour doughy- or fancy in anyway..it is just Moloka'i goodness...

ahhh those were the days....