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MANGO, MANAKO (Mangifera indica)


Mango plants, brought to Hawaii from Manila about 1824, were given to Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a famous Spanish horticulturalist who lived in Hawaii in the early 1800's. He was known to the Hawaiians as "Manini," and his first mango tree was called "manini" mango. Mango trees were imported to Hawaii from Jamaica in 1885, and 14 years later, S. M. Damon brought the Pirie from India to Moanalua Gardens. The first Hawaii Territorial Mango Forum in 1955 honored David T. Fleming who introduced the Hayden mango to Maui.

The Hayden has an interesting history. In 1889 five kinds of fine grafted mangoes from India were first introduced to the mainland by the Department of Agriculture. These were planted at Lake Worth, Florida. A severe frost six years later killed all of the trees except one of the Mulgoa or Mulgoba variety. This tree re-sprouted. A seedling grown from a fruit of this tree was later raised and propagated by a Mrs. Hayden who lived in that area. It had such desirable traits that it is now one of the most popular mango varieties in the islands.

Mango is described as the world's most delicious fruit, the "king of fruits." In many parts of the world, mango consumption exceeds that of apple and in the worldwide production of fruit, mango ranks fifth. Mango grows in most subtropical places and is the star of the sumac family, which also includes cashews, Christmas berry, sumac, poison ivy and poison oak. The sap from the trees branches, trunk and unripe fruit skins can produce a "mango rash" on many people's skin that's similar to poison ivy or poison oak rash.

Grown in India for at least 4,000 years, perhaps 6,000 years, mango is one of the earliest cultivated fruits. A grove of mangoes was given to Buddha for meditation. The name of the fruit was westernized by the Portuguese (India's trading partner) to "mango" from the Tamil word "mankay." One expert estimates that over 500 varieties of mangoes were developed in India.

The mango tree is a deep-rooted, symmetrical evergreen that can grow to 90 feet. It can be 80 feet wide and bear fruits for 40 years. In Hawaii, mangos grow from sea level to 1500 feet. Most are productive below 1,200 feet. In some valleys where wild mango trees are abundant, the air is filled with a delightful, heavy fragrance when the trees are in bloom. Some of the old trees along the windward coast of Haleakala are among the more massive trees on the island. Their fruit is small but tasty, but you have to watch out for fruit fly maggots.

Hawaiian mangos prefer a hot, dry area with little wind. Mangoes grown in sunny, dry districts like Lahaina (usually the Haden or the spicy "Indian" variety with a pointy tip that locals call "Mapulehu") are among the best eating fruit in the islands. Trees normally bear at 3 to 5 years, with maximum production occurring after 15 - 20 years. Mango production during any given year depends on whether or not the mango blossoms get knocked off by the windy wet season storms.

Mango leaves are about 13 inches long, limp and deep red, turning a deep, glossy green when mature. The tree is resinous throughout, with the gum and bark used medicinally as an astringent. The leaves, sap and bark may cause a rash in some people.

The one-fourth inch pale, pink-white flowers bloom at various times from December to April. Fruit appears 3 to 5 months after flowering. The harvest season in Hawaii is normally June through September, but mangos can usually be found somewhere in the Islands any time. For the past 60 years, the mango harvest of summer large and winter small seems to be merging.

Many recognized varieties of mangos as well as unnamed hybrids are grown in Hawaii. mangos come in many shapes - oval, round, oblong and even banana-shaped. Fruit color varies form green to yellow-orange and even burgundy. The flesh can be pale yellow to orange, smooth, or fibrous and adheres to a flat, fuzzy striated seed. Most mangos in Hawaii weigh from ¼ to 3 pounds, are 6 inches long and have a smooth, 1/8 inch thick skin, but the many varieties of mango can be quite dissimilar.

The fruit's aroma, texture and taste have been cultivated and improved by generations of gardeners. Kids who grew up in the islands among the big old trees know that mango trees are for climbing and for tree houses and pretend-sailing ships. Mango trees are also for eating green mangoes with a special sauce made from shoyu, vinegar and black pepper, for helping the aunties make mango pickles, mango seed, and mango chutney, and for rotten mango fights. The lower-growing Pirie and Hayden mangoes are more suited for home gardens these days. But, it's still a fact that the only way you can really enjoy gorging on a ripe mango if you're in the house is over the sink because afterwards you have to wash your face and hands thoroughly. (We never did figure out how to keep the hairy seed fibers from infiltrating between our teeth.)

Woodworkers are fond of the light-colored mango wood for turned bowls and dishes. One taro-farmer in Hana says they used to make poi boards from the wood. To harden it they would soak the boards in the taro patch mud until the mud had soaked into the wood.

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THE FIRST CANNERY

The pineapple industry began in Hawaii on Maui and it all started in earnest in Haiku. In 1890 Dwight D. Baldwin began experimenting with plantings of the fruit. He shipped his first fresh pineapples to San Francisco in 1900. Three years later, in a joint venture with his brother Henry P. Baldwin, the Haiku Fruit and Packing Company was incorporated. Maui's first pineapple cannery began operations by 1904, with the construction of a can-making plant and a cannery in Haiku. 1,400 cases of pineapple were packed during the initial run. In time, the independent farmers for miles around brought their fruit there to be processed.

This was understandable since the Baldwin brothers convinced others to begin planting pineapple at Grove and Haleakala ranches as well as on hundreds of small properties throughout the Haiku, Kaupakalua and Makawao areas. By the 1920's, Haiku Cannery was the largest, most complete plant of its kind.

Near the cannery, at the corner of Haiku and Kokomo Roads, a tiny village grew up to supply the needs of the cannery workers and the farmers in the area. The Haiku General Store, the Haiku branch of the Bank of Hawaii and a doctor's office comprised the core of this village. The bank, which was built in 1931, included a space for a post office. Also in the village, the Watanabe General Store and Garage played a central role. There was a stage in its garage where in the 1930s there were kabuki play performances, films, parties and political rallies.

The life in and around the village was rural - slow and easygoing -- and for most people there was a lot of hard work for a little bit of money. It centered around the growing seasons and around plants and animals, as rural life always has. The plantation bosses led one sort of life; the workers, another, and they lived side-by-side. In 1934, the company (renamed the Haiku Pineapple Company) was sold to Hawaiian Pineapple Company. The cannery closed in 1938, when Hawaiian Pineapple closed their Maui operations.

When World War came to the Pacific three years later, Maui became a training ground. Men in uniform outnumbered the local residents four to one during the war years. Up the road from Haiku, the Marines camped in the pastures of Kokomo. Camp Maui, a huge base camp, was erected in 1944 as a refuge for almost 20,000 men of the Fourth Marine Division between battles in the Pacific. The Marines based there were adopted as "Maui's Own." Former members of the Fourth Division keep the memory of Camp Maui alive through a public park at its former site.

One of the bachelor dormitories formerly used by the cannery workers became an officer's club during the war years. That officer's club eventually became a school - Horizons Academy.

One of the darkest episodes of American history, the mass internment of people of Japanese ancestry, was impractical on Maui where nearly one-third of the population was Japanese. However, Japanese teachers, priests and others with close ties to Japan were held either in the Wailuku Jail or at a site in Haiku, and later sent to Oahu or the mainland for internment.

The Japanese-American community formed a patriotic organization called the Maui Emergency Service Committee which did all it could to counter the unfounded suspicions of them that was engendered by the war. The Committee conducted blood drives, promoted a "Speak American" campaign, and sponsored a Kiawe Corps to clear the stubborn kiawe thickets from Maui's southern beaches, clearing the land for military purposes as well as supplying wood to the military. Young Japanese men flooded the military enlistment offices as soon as they were eligible, as did other young men of every race.

After the war, Haiku was never the same again. The war had changed Maui forever. The rigid social foundation of plantation owners, plantation field hands, and small, poor, independent farmers would not last for another generation. Young people who had gone to war or who had made friends of the soldiers who flooded the island had been introduced to new possibilities and were not about to go back to the old ways. By the 1950's both sugar and pineapple, the driving forces behind Maui economy for a long time, began a slow decline due to increased labor costs and foreign competition. As agriculture weakened, tourism became stronger. The jobs were on the west side or in the southern and central parts of the island. East Maui went to sleep.

Much of the old cannery building complex was wrecked during a windstorm in the 1970's and after years of languishing as a broken-down eyesore, what was left has morphed into a spiffy commercial complex, The Haiku Marketplace, which includes a hardware store, a pharmacy, a laundromat, restaurants and shops. The parking lot of the complex is built on the foundations of the former structures that were blown down.

The surrounding pastures and farmlands are dotted with newer homes. There is a continuing influx of people drawn to the islands and former residents who are coming back to find their roots. Haiku village and the old cannery have become, again, a gathering place where the needs of the people living in the surrounding countryside are met.


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STANDARD: Frankly, you really need to be straightforward and direct with him.
BRADDAH-NICS: Dat guy, you gotta tell 'em straight to da head.

STANDARD: What have you been up to?
BRADDAH-NICS: What dooo-ing?

STANDARD: Russell, I resent having to do that for you.
BRADDAH-NICS: Chee, Russell! Jalike I your slave!
 

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Local Grinds

Teriyaki Meatballs

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large baking pan. Combine beef, eggs, flour, salt, and pepper. Mix lightly and shape into small balls about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Place in prepared baking pan and bake for 14-17 minutes. Mix cornstarch with sugar and soy sauce. Stir in beef broth, sake, ginger, and garlic. Cook in skillet or chafing dish until mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Add meat balls and serve. Makes 6 dozen meat balls.

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Mt. Haleakala

Rising 10,023 ft. above sea level, Mt. Haleakala is truly a sight to behold. At its core; a volcano dormant for hundreds of years. At its base; a sprawling tropical metropolis. Amongst its exterior; lush foliage, delightful views, and a memorable journey no matter how far towards the summit you travel.

Encompassing the cities of Kula, Haiku, Pukalani, Makawao, Olinda, Ulupalakua, and Hana, amongst many others, the slopes of Haleakala are filled with much diversity. With a bustling highway and many side streets cutting a swath through the Upcountry area ( Kula, Pukalani, etc.) there is much to discover while traveling about the great volcano. From unique Maui Arts, Crafts, and Food in Makawao and Pukalani, to striking views of Central Maui and the West Maui Mountain Range from the parks and side stops of peaceful Kula. A 3 hour excursion to the opposing side of Mt. Haleakala reveals a decidedly different experience known as Hana. Filled with an immeasurable wealth of old Hawaiian culture, Hana is one of the very few places in the state to be left relatively untouched by modern development. Ripe with the rich vegetation of an exuberant rainforest, flanked with steep crevices carved by magnificent waterfalls, home to some of the most beautifully secluded beaches in the world, and abundant in sites of cultural significance and beauty, Hana is without a doubt a place which must be not only experienced, but appreciated.

Back around the mountain, follow the Haleakala Highway "up the hill," to one of the most beautiful sites of all: the Summit of Mt. Haleakala. Through the entrance to the summit one finds an outdoor lovers paradise: unique terrain covered in plant life not seen outside of Haleakala, unrivaled island encompassing views, and serene campgrounds from which to take in all this beauty. The attraction of this legendary volcano doesn't stop there though. Inch up a bit farther to the summit, then take a glance downwards at the awe-inspiring volcanic crater.

Filled with pastel reds, quiet yellows, and deep black hues that stretch for miles, the Crater of Mt. Haleakala is spectacular. But the attraction is not limited to only a view from the top; take a look about and you will discover mountainous trails leading through this wonderful crater. The journey through Mt. Haleakala reveals a wealth of unique sights; from centuries old hardened lava rock, to multi colored cinder cones, even vegetation indigenous to Maui, such as the Maui Silversword.

No matter how you look at it, Mt. Haleakala is, without a doubt, one of the most treasured places in the world.

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