|
The 1930s were the peak of the Territorial days in Hawaii. Great
steamships brought thousands of passengers to Oahu each week, where they stayed
in palatial hotels in Waikiki such as the Royal Hawaiian and the Moana
Surfrider. Interisland air service commenced in 1929, making the outer islands
more accessible. Locals and tourists alike started to favor sport shirts made
of Japanese kimonos, called Hawaiian or aloha shirts. During the later part of
the decade, Pan American Airlines commenced trans-Pacific air service from the
West Coast. The flavors of Hawaii were being introduced to the world.
In a small town on Kauai, Ryochi Tateishi started Kukui Brand. He selected the
"Kukui" name in part because he liked the way it sounded, but also because the
Kukui nut had played a valuable role in the daily lives of the Hawaiian people.
Ryochi started producing preserves, jams and jellies from the tropical fruits,
including mangos, papayas, guava and lilikoi (passion fruit) that grew
throughout the islands. After all, fruit grew and ripened rapidly in the
islands' tropical climate, and prior to the widespread adaptation of
refrigeration, other means of saving the fruit were not practical. The islands
were home to a number of plantations that provided ample supplies of sugar and
fruit. Through generations of Tateishi family ownership, Kukui Brand prospered,
gaining popularity Territory-wide as the highest quality, best tasting tropical
jams and jellies.
Today, its a different world. Hawaii entertains millions of visitors each year
at mega-resorts on almost every island. You could say that things have changed.
Except for us. Call us traditional, but Kukui Brand hasn't changed all that
much. Oh, sure, we've picked up some new equipment here and there; and once
every ten to fifteen years we'll tweak the label design. But for the most part,
we've tried to stay true to Ryochi's vision. A Tateishi still develops each and
every recipe we use. We still get our ingredients right here in Hawaii: guavas
from Kauai, sugar from Maui, papayas and poha from the Big Island, and
pineapples from Oahu and Maui. Most importantly, Kukui Brand still represents
the highest quality, best tasting tropical jams and jellies the Islands have to
offer.
Back to Top
|
