LAWAI — A jam made from Kauai-grown hibiscus piqued the interest of Cindy Cabrera, who dropped in at Monkeypod Jam’s newly opened Lawai facility last week. “This is the Roselle Jam,” said Aletha Thomas, owner and chief jam-maker. “It’s made
LAWAI — A jam made from Kauai-grown hibiscus piqued the interest of Cindy Cabrera, who dropped in at Monkeypod Jam’s newly opened Lawai facility last week.
“This is the Roselle Jam,” said Aletha Thomas, owner and chief jam-maker. “It’s made from hibiscus grown by a farmer in Kilauea. “You peel the hibiscus which has had its petals fallen off, and use the outer part to make the jam. The seeds? We don’t use it, maybe give it to farmers so they can grow more hibiscus.”
Thomas said the Roselle Jam is one of the finalists in the 2016 Good Food Awards — just three from the state of Hawaii, and the only one from Kauai.
“This is quite an honor,” Thomas said. “The winners from the 263 finalists will be announced Jan. 15 in San Francisco. But to be a finalist from nearly 2,000 entries in 13 categories is quite an honor.”
The Lawai facility opened last week, almost at the same time they were notified of the Good Food Awards finalist honor, Thomas said.
The Good Food Awards represent the best from America’s growing movement of talented and socially responsible food crafters, states a release from the Good Food Awards, which is supported by the Good Food Retailers Collaborative. The collaborative is made up of 13 of the country’s top independently owned retailers.
The Hawaii finalists joining Monkeypod Jam, which was selected in the Preserves category, are Oahu’s Lonohana Estate Chocolate, Kanahiku 70 percent dark, in the Chocolate category, and Adoboloco from Maui in the Pantry category for its Adoboloco Pineapple Hot Sauce.
“As a finalist, we get to go to San Francisco to show our wares during an event which takes place the weekend the finalists are announced,” Thomas said. “That is huge.”
The opening of the Lawai Monkeypod Jam retail center replaces the operation’s previous way of operating out of a shared kitchen in the former Dairy Queen building, with storage of supplies and orders for shipping being done at another Lihue facility.
“We eventually see this as a retail store for Monkeypod Jam,” Thomas said. “It’ll have tables and chairs where shoppers can enjoy a cup of coffee, some food offerings, and learn more about how jams are made.”
The Lawai Monkeypod Jam retail center, next to the Lawai post office, is open Mondays through Fridays from 6 a.m. to noon.
“We had to open this place,” Thomas said. “We’re going to be expanding rapidly. We need to add at least five more part-time and full-time people in the retail area over the next six months.”
Thomas said the walk-in refrigerator at the Lawai facility is what was needed to take care of the Kilauea-grown hibiscus, which is the heart of the Roselle Jam.
“This is a new walk-in, and it’s perfect for keeping the hibiscus,” Thomas said.
“It’s part of the certified kitchen which is one part of the Lawai facility which will offer locals and visitors a place to pick up Monkeypod Jam as well as learn how it’s used with other food, including those from Ko Bakery and Ya Quddus Bagelry which bakes in the Tip Top Cafe.”
She said Monkeypod Jam uses Kauai-grown fruit and products.
“Everything here is made from Kauai-grown items, except the cranberries,” Thomas said. “We just got our first crop of Caracara oranges from Moloaa Bay Coffee, and this will be the first batch of the season. People have been screaming for them.”
The labeling, packing and shipping has also been incorporated into the Lawai facility.
“Becky Umakoshi makes things happen,” Thomas said. “She ships up to 20 cartons every day, a lot of the orders being same-day shipping which means a customer from New York will order and get product, in many cases, within two days. Now that the holidays are here, I’m hoping she doesn’t threaten to quit like she did last year when the orders keep pouring in.”
Monkeypod Jam is a member of Kauai Made, Kauai Grown, and the Kauai County Farm Bureau.
