Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

On the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii there was a Breadfruit Goes Banana Festival early today (9/29). It was most bananaest thing I've ever done. Dozens of varieties of banana plants for sale, and many to buy and taste which are pictured here. Many varieties I have never seen for sale on this island, both fruit and plants. I scored one labeled as a "likely" High Noon (SH3610), a real Ele Ele (as opposed to the maybe mislabeled one I already have), and some type of Fe'i banana. I was shocked to see the Fei available, and by the end of the day, I think the one I bought was the only one sold. Average person here would have no idea what a Fe'i is, just as I wouldn't have a year or so ago.

Also had the pleasure of meeting Gabe15, attending a talk and cooking demo by Dr. Angela Kay Kepler, and met her and her husband co-author of the Hawaiian Banana book, Francis Rust.

In the 5 years I've been on this island, I'm not aware of anything comparable to this, and it's quite rare to get to sample so many types of bananas. I purchased to eat, some Mysore, Maia Lele, 2 Maia Maoli types, Hua Moa, High Noon, Monkey Fingers, and Namwah. First taste of High Noon, which I was very excited about. Can't wait to try the Monkey Fingers since I have a plant but have never tasted the fruit. All in all a great day and worth 6 hours of driving. Thought some might enjoy the pictures.

Dr. Keplers talk, less blurry in real life. Perhaps I couldn't contain my excitement enough to hold my phone steady.


Her cooking demo, she prepared 4 dishes using a few types of Hawaiian Bananas, Iholenas, A'ea'e, & Hua Moa.


The rest see the sign in the picture, where it's semi-readable.

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Nice report Rob.
We need more things like that one. Any more details on Fe'i ?

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Any pics of the plants you bought?

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Awesome.

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Thanks Rob!!!
Would have loved to attended this!!

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Will try to get some pics of the ones I bought, but they don't look like much. The Fe'i there were no details on and I couldn't determine who harvested it to ask. I'm just excited to have any Fe'i type. Now to find places for these 3 plants, something has to go!

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Awesome. I have banana jealousy. Please give us taste reports for the different varieties as you try them.

I think Magilla Gorilla (Andrew) was planning on being there. Did you run into him?

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Wow very cool report!! Congrats on the fe'i they are very hard to find! Cool that you got to meet Gabe too, great guy!

Oh and wanted to say thanks for uploading the full res images so I can read the signs!

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Very nice post, Rob. Can't believe I could have been there if I'd just stayed one more day!

Good luck growing everything, hope you get some rain!

Steve

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

please tell me they didn't have any AeAe plants for sale..

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Several. 60 bucks and I don't think they all sold.

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Rob, you beat me to the pictures! I too took detailed photos of the fruit to post. It was a great day. I got there at 8:00 AM. It was great to meet Gabe and talk. I spent a fair amount of time talking to Angela. I purchased her book at a nice discount. I unfortunately didn't see Rob. I tried to buy the Fe'i at 8:00 and they didn't want to sell it. I picked one up last month so I'm happy you got one. I think it was Chris Carters if it was in a three gallon pot. Everything else he had was bare root. I bought the following plants:
1. Mai'a Hapai (this was a pup from the gardens)
2. Dwarf Puerto Rican
3. Popuolu Red
4. Dwarf Iholena
5. Ele Ele (this was a pup from the gardens)
6. Tuu Gia (I'm not sure where they came up with this name)
7. Sekaki Papaya (ten small seedlings for $5.00)

The AeAe's were cheap but many of the other plants were a little pricey. It was for a good cause. The breadfruit in coconut cream was awesome. The food, the people, the weather, the plants and the content was well worth it. I look forward to next years! Rob, I will check my schedule tomorrow when I get in my office to see what would work for a visit.
Here is one picture of the fruit display:

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

I forgot, I bought some really cool varieties of sugar cane for $2.95 a stalk. They were all growing on Amy Geenwell's garden. As you walked up from the visitors center they are on the left.
The varieties are from top to bottom:
1. Hapai
2. Uahiapele
3. Honula' ula
4. Ohia
5. Maiakoko
6. Kea
7. 80P 903

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Ya, great to see you guys there too, was a fun time!

Rob, the fe'i cultivar you purchased is 'Aiuri'.

And the "Monkey Fingers" bunch that was hanging up is actually 'Tuu Gia'.

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Mahalo Andrew and Gabe. Well we almost met, Andrew. That's me in the tank top on the right in your picture!

Here are the 3 plants I bought. I planted the real Ele Ele right next to my Aloha Tropicals TC Ele Ele which probably isn't.

The "likely" High Noon - SH-3640


Fe'i Aiuri


Ele Ele

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Aloha and thank you so much for such wonderful pictures! I love Kona! Hawaii is the most beautiful place I have ever visited in the world. The people on the Big Island were pretty darn great too. Wish I could have attended this banana festival, but I do love seeing your pics of all the different fruit identified. Mahalo again!

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Aloha Rob,

In your first picture of Angela I am sitting in the front row and you caught my leg and red board shorts. That's me. How funny that we were walking around and didn't see each other :ha:. I had taken the same pictures of the fruit hanging. I also had my car parked in the handicap spot right next to the plant sales. It's a white CL600 Mercedes.

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Andrew, looks like both Rob and I made it into your photo of the hanging bananas, I'm there with the camera around my shoulder talking about bananas.

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Thanks Rob and Andrew for the pics and info...I wish..I was there..

Re: Hawaii Breadfruit and Banana festival pics & comments
 

Gabe, it's funny to see the photos I took with you and Rob not knowing you guys were in the shot. Am I the only one in Hawaii growing basjoo?