Kahaluu market supports Hawaiian traditions, local businesses

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - If you’re looking for some last minute Christmas gifts that are uniquely Hawaiian, head over to the Kahaluu Maoli Market today from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., which features products from local Hawaiian businesses.

Alohi Viliami Aeʻa and her son Viliami joined HNN’s Sunrise Weekends to talk about their taro-based recipes and nonprofit Hui Aloha Aina Momona, which hosts its yearly board and stone sale today, featuring local artists and vendors, at their farmsite at 47-540 Ahuimanu Road.

The nonprofit offers educational programs around Hawaiian lifestyle practices, such as weekly taro pounding workshops and community imu and indigenous farming education. Folks can tour the farm, learn how to start no-smell pig pens, and turn a cured wooden slab to a completely finished taro pounding board in as little as 8-10 hours.

Ae’a showcased koena waffles, made of sweet taro scrapings, in three ways: with banana and honey, luau and paakai, or sour poi gravy.

They also made cheeseburger laulau (hamburger, koena and cheese in a laulau) and pan fried paiai fritters.

Another vendor taking part in the market is Kau Kau Coffee, owned by Wahiawa native and entrepreneur Keala Ramos, who splits his time between Hawaii and New York City. He uses coffee beans sourced from Oahu and roasts them in Queens, New York, and shares Hawaiian cultural practices and traditions with mainland consumers.

He joined Sunrise Weekends to talk about his custom blends and spreading aloha through his coffee and snacks like butter mochi. You can find him on Instagram at @kaukaucoffee or at kaukaunyc.com.

Today’s market also features Aloha Aina apparel, local clothing brands, Hawaiian and cultural themed gifts, Native Hawaiian plants, aina based drinks, brick oven pizza and Uncle Kaʻimiʻs fried fish and poke.

For more information, call (808) 542-1326, email HuiAlohaAinaMomona@gmail.com or visit ainamomona.org.

You can also follow them on Instagram at @HuiAlohaAinaMomona or @ManaAi.

Watch more episodes of What’s Cooking on Sunrise Weekends.