One of the first Christmases I spent in Hawaii, I remember my pastor’s wife, Aunty Terumi, giving me a bag of Hawaiian-style Chex Mix in a Ziploc bag. I thought it was just some cereal mixed together and didn’t really understand why it would be a special treat. But I was told I was very fortunate to be a recipient of Aunty Terumi’s Chex mix. She was renowned for her party Chex mix. As soon as I took a bite, I understood the fuss.
It was spectacular.
A taste of home in faraway Borneo.
Breadfruit is a fruit in the Artocarpus genus, so it is related to jackfruit and buah tarap but the flesh is very starchy and not at all sweet like its cousins. With origins in Papua New Guinea, it is cultivated and eaten in tropical regions all over the world, from Southeast Asia, to the Indian Ocean, to the Caribbean, to Central America, to the Pacific Islands.
In Malaysia breadfruit is called “buah sukun”; in Hawaii it is called “ulu”. I call it “good eats” 🙂
You deserve a ∏ (Pi) today. So how about a Chocolate Haupia Pie?
Today is March 14: 3.14. If you remember your Geometry, 3.14 is a very significant number. ∏, or “Pi” is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Science and Math geeks like to celebrate the number on March 14. And since it sounds like the word “pie”, Science and Math geeks who bake will make pies on that day as well!
Last year, we threw a big, Hawaiian-themed party at our house. Our Ultimate Hawaiian Backyard Lu’au featured many popular Hawaiian dishes as well as desserts. Our friend Melissa, who is a great baker, prepared this Chocolate Haupia pie for us. (“Haupia”, by the way, is a Hawaiian-style, coconut milk-based pudding.) It was the best!
Thankfully, Melissa and her husband Pat had photographed the pie-making process in their kitchen, and had emailed us their pics. We hadn’t posted the recipe before, so I figured Pi Day would be the perfect time to do it.
Updated 30 October 2009
Originally posted 13 June 2007
This recipe for Hawaiian Kalua Pig with Cabbage calls for simply roasting a pork shoulder in an oven bag. No heavy lifting involved
