Category Archives: Environment

Culture, Environment, food, Lifestyle, maui, Travel

Growing Maui Vanilla Beans

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The harvest and drying season in Maui for vanilla beans has just ended, and pollinating season has just begun. Growing a single vanilla bean takes about one year: In May, vanilla orchid flowers bloom, during which time they must be pollinated by hand with a paintbrush. If that goes well, a single bean will erupt from each flower. Nine months later, the vanilla beans are ready for harvest. After three months of drying, the beans are ready to eat, and the annual process starts again.

This year was a bumper crop, according to one Maui grower, who pollinates about twenty thousand orchid plants by hand each year to produce the decadent Madagascar variety of vanilla beans. There are less than a handful of vanilla growers in Hawaii, and only two are working on such a large scale.

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Vanilla beans in the process of drying

Growing vanilla beans does lend itself easily to commercial processes, which is why genuine vanilla flavor costs more than artificial. Vanilla orchids lack natural pollinators, so each plant must be pollinated by hand, using a tool like a small paintbrush. The window of time for pollinating stays open only as long as the flower blooms. The process is hectic, painstaking, and time-consuming. And there’s no guarantee the pollen will bear fruit.

But for growers and connoisseurs alike, there is no substitute for the rich, creamy flavor of real Madagascar vanilla. It’s the variety favored by pastry chefs around the world. The other variety, Tahitian vanilla, has a more floral aroma and lighter flavor. I like to grind up real vanilla beans and mix with Maui sugar or infuse them whole into a bottle of rum for baking.

Environment, Family, Health, News

H1N1 Swine Flu in Hawaii

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As swine flu (H1N1 2009 Influenza) races across the US, there are now three confirmed cases of people infected with the virus in Hawaii. But with confirmed thousands of cases in over nearly all US states, including major sources of visitors–like California–Hawaii residents should be prepared with (1) good basic hygiene to prevent catching and spreading the virus and (2) a stocked pantry in case you become sick and have to stay home for a week or two.

Good, Basic Hygiene

Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

People cannot get swine flu from eating pork — good news for fans of Hawaii’s pork-based delicacies, like lau lau, kalua pork and char siu. My personal favorite pork item is the surprisingly delicious combination of bacon with chocolate (Bacon and Chocolate Bar famously from Vosges Chocolat).

Simple precautions will protect you and your family, according to the CDC. Wash hands after sneezing or shaking someone else’s hand. Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing, or sneeze into your elbow. Stay home if you feel ill. Use hand sanitizer liberally.

Stocked Pantry at Home

Before you get sick, stock up on soups, juices and other foods to get you through 7-10 days of illness. Replenish supplies of hand sanitzer and tissues. Most importantly, use common sense to avoid contact with sick people.