logo

The Global Domain Name (url) Families.com is currently available for acquisition. Please contact by phone at 805-627-1955 or Email for Details

Traveling To A Taro Festival

In previous blogs I’ve detailed my adventures traveling around the nation to various food festivals. Right now, on the island of Maui, locals are gearing up for one of Hawaii’s most popular food festivals—the East Maui Taro Festival. (I’ve even considered petitioning the Food Network to send a crew to cover it as an episode on their show “All-American Food Festivals.”)

On the last weekend in April, the tight-knit community of Hana hosts this down home bash that attracts more than 5,000 visitors and residents each year. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the festival, which features a number of taro derived delicacies from taro burgers and taro seafood chowder to poi mochi, poi pancakes and kulolo (pudding made of baked or steamed grated taro and coconut cream). Additional food booths will offer other popular Hawaiian dishes including succulent kalua pig and turkey cooked in an imu (underground oven).

While you are dining on your taro treats you can take in live entertainment from various local hula groups, a choral group from Hana Middle School, and the popular local singing duo of Willie K and Eric Gilliom. Shoppers can work up an appetite at the craft booths which feature a wide variety of locally made items, including colorful leis, shell and beach glass jewelry, soy-based floral candles, hand carved coffee wood walking sticks, lau hala bracelets, and canvas tote bags with hand-painted tropical designs.

The entire event is designed to increase public awareness about taro and to promote the production of taro in Hawaii. For those of you unfamiliar with the root, taro is a major source of vitamins A, B and C; calcium; carbohydrates; iron; phosphorus; thiamine; and riboflavin. The taro root is pounded into the popular Hawaiian dish called poi (if you have visited Hawaii you likely have seen it featured at luaus). Poi is easily digestible and comes highly recommended by doctors as a good source of nutrition for babies.

In ancient Hawaii, natives consumed up to five pounds of poi per day. They also used the taro root for medicinal purposes. Some would place the stem on cuts to stop bleeding and on insect bites to alleviate itching. Others would drink taro juice to reduce fevers.

If you are planning a trip to Maui during April consider visiting the East Maui Taro Festival. This year it takes place at the Hana Ballpark from April 28th to 29th. Admission to the festival is free as is the entertainment (including the poi-pounding demonstrations and the tours of various taro patches).

For more information click here.

Related Articles:

“Taste of Chicago”-The Ultimate Food Festival

Cheery Cherry Festivals

The Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival (Not Just For Cheeseheads)

Don’t Hold The Mustard At This Summer Festival

Visiting the Home of the Hamburger

Watermelon Festivals (Coming To A City Near You)

A Finger-Licking Good Time

This entry was posted in Hawaii and tagged , , , , by Michele Cheplic. Bookmark the permalink.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.