Phone call with my mother usually has some kind of tech support involved.

Or rather… hunting something down.

This time, it was a poi making business. Poi is very expensive and there are many varieties. Also, it gets sourer as it gets older and there’s a point where it’s just too far gone for the palate. So finding fresh, thick poi is key to having great poi.

I had two possible clues… Honoka’a and a word that started with K.

This leads us to the Mokuwai Piko Poi Inc which is not far from Tex Drive In. Gave her all the details. Owner’s name is Kahealani (I’m assuming no okina in hea because hea means “call” and he’a means “fire-burnt, bloody red”).

So now my mom has a place she can go get some poi from. Their taro patch is a bit lean and sometimes there just isn’t any ready to be turned into poi. Also, a lot of poi companies apparently are making very watery poi and not using a good taro variety. So she’s happy to find Mokuwai Piko.

Now if only I can find fresh ‘ulu in San Diego. Or even frozen. ‘Ulu as in breadfruit. Not the knife used by Native Alaskans.