Maui Makers to Host Kiawe Pod Flour Workshop

Maui Makers will host a special kiawe pod flour workshop on Saturday, May 6, from 1-4 p.m. The workshop will show how kiawe tree pods can be harvested and ground into flour that can result in long lasting health benefits.

When grounded into flour, Kiawe becomes a highly nutritious superior energy food that is sweet, diabetic friendly and can easily be stored for a long period of time. Photo Courtesy

When grounded into flour, Kiawe becomes a highly nutritious superior energy food that is sweet, diabetic friendly and can easily be stored for a long period of time.

Attendees will learn how to utilize the local, nutritional and sustainable food source as well as talk story about kiawe bean pods and the vision it could play in the local sustainable food movement.

There will also be a short video from Maui’s “Search Hawai‘i” show, entitled “Wai‘anae Gold,” as well as a hands-on demonstration of how Wai‘anae Gold “‘āina bars” are made.

Presenters include Vince Dodge from Wai‘anae Gold on O‘ahu, Sunny Savage, a Maui wild harvester and Yuji Taira, also a Maui harvester.

Dodge has been a leader in bringing the kiawe pod into public awareness. In the past 11 years he has researched and visited with native people to gain knowledge of traditional kiawe practices, developed a network of kiawe pod harvesters, obtained effective flour milling hardware from Argentina, developed a processing system for making the pods into flour, invented a number of products featuring kiawe flour and established a marketing network that places the products in retail stores such as Down to Earth and Mana Foods.

Savage is the author of the book “Wild Food Plants of Hawai‘i” and has been inspired to utilize the kiawe fruit in many ways. She holds an MS in Nutrition Education and has traveled to all seven continents, learning from plants and people along the way. She will bring to the workshop stories of her experiences and samples of some of the delicacies she has developed using kiwae flour.

Space is limited for the workshop, RSVP to Wayne Axelson at waxelson@gmail.com. The workshop is $10.

Maui Makers is located at 362 Pakana Street in Wailuku.