Hawaii's Share Your Table

While visiting California recently, I set out to buy mangos for a tropical fruit salad. The grocery stores carried only the Hayden variety from Mexico; the farmer’s markets, although they sold locally-grown fruit, were limited as well: Hayden and Pirie were the only two types available. Frustrated by the lack of variety, I thought of the mango trees that dot my neighborhood in Honolulu, and suddenly I appreciated their diversity. The Excel’s deep rose-hued skin, Momi K’s green and purple hemispheres, the football-sized Rapoza, and the tiny, pale yellow White Pirie: they each appear with regularity at island farmer’s markets and local groceries. And their flavors? Just as their size and coloring differ, so do their sweetness, creaminess, and velvety feel against the tongue.

I am not alone in my appreciation for the mango. In fact, the non-profit association of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG) and University of Hawaii’s Culinary Institute of the Pacific are even more obsessed. And their love for all things
tropical, local, and mango, has led them to partner up with the Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki for an entire month of mango-related festivities, including culinary demonstrations, tastings, and seminars. The proceeds help support HTFG and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.

Admittedly, I’ve always thought of mangoes—along with peaches, apples, pears,and other pit fruit—as limited to the domains of dessert, chutney, and white wine. But Chef Rodney Uyehara and Sommelier James Maher, both of the Beachhouse at the Moana, are challenging these stereotypes. They kicked off Mangoes at the Moana with a
five-course wine pairing dinner on August 6. The mango-themed menu included lobster, veal, and mignon of beef, and their wine pairings ran the gamut from the classic (Riesling
from G. Gauthier Cellars and Gewurtztraminer from Storrs Winery) to the surprising (“Old Vine” Zinfandel from Gamba Vineyards and Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s Husic Vineyards). But somehow the dishes and pairings worked, showing that mangoes, in all their diversity, are not to be pigeon-holed.

If a primary goal of Mangoes at the Moana is to showcase a favorite island fruit, then a secondary hope is to support local growers. The more that hotels, restaurants, and individuals buy local, the greater the boost to the local economy and the smaller the carbon footprint on the environment. To this end, Uyehara and Maher endeavor to source local and domestic produce and ingredients as much as possible. For the mango-themed wine dinner, fruit, vegetables, and meats were purchased from island farms, and the wines hailed from the United States. When the guests clinked glasses for the opening toast, for example, the sparkling they sipped was from New Mexico’s Gruet Winery. With its dry palate and subtle buttered toast notes, this Brut was a ringer for Champagne, and it played well against the sweet-tart flavors of the twelve local varieties of mangoes that guests were invited to taste prior to the dinner.

After the reception and raw mango tasting, dinner was served: Rapoza mango wrapped in pancetta shared a plate with red-picked Keitt mango; poached Kona lobster was enlivened with Makaha mango; Big Island red veal was served with Molokai orange potato, goat cheese from Surfing Goat Dairy, and a mango chutney; and the richness of a mignon of beef was enhanced with grilled Hamakua mushrooms, foie gras, and balsamic-glazed mango. Winemakers such as Steven Storrs of Storrs Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains and winery owners such as Frank Husic of Husic Vineyards in Napa Valley were on hand to talk about their wines and the pairings.

Perhaps the most delightful aspect of the evening, however, was the versatility of the mangoes themselves. Even when paired with beef and other rich, heavy flavors, the mangoes’ sweetness and subtle acidity integrated into the dish. As Mahers noted, “the mango’s sweetness draws out other flavors without always drawing attention to itself.” If asking the mango to play a supporting role was one aspect of the wine dinner, then putting the fruit on center stage will be a goal of Mangoes at the Moana’s finale: the August 27 “Tree to Table—A Mango Throw Down,” featuring island chefs such as Chai Chaowasaree of Chai’s Bistro, Russell Siu of 3660 On The Rise, and Colin Nishida of Side Street Inn. The walk-around, small-plate tasting will be a contest among the chefs to see who can use mango in the most creative and surprising ways, and also pair their dishes with both white and red wine.

The next time you amble around your neighborhood, notice the plentiful and diverse types of mango, and fruit in general. Hawaii’s bounty can’t really be limited to one month of celebration. Thankfully, Mangoes at the Moana is an annual event, so you can look forward to it next summer. In the mean time, I’m advocating for Lilikoi in the Lani Kai Room, Bananas at the Beach Bar, and Voavanga on The Veranda.