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#CatTravels: What to bring home

By Catherine Toth Fox • January 28, 2013 • #CatTravels

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Every island has its own special food or snack or something worthy of bringing back home.

Oahu has baked manapua (Royal Kitchen) and Cocoa Puffs (Liliha Bakery). The Big Island has strawberry mochi (Two Ladies Kitchen) and frozen Fuji apple pie (Big Island Candies, sold only at KTA Superstores).

It’s custom here to bring back gifts — called omiyage — while on trips to friends and family at home. In fact, the obligation can be quite challenging, especially when you’re lugging extra baggage — now it costs! — and struggling to find something new and unusual to bring home.

IMG_2270I’m heading to Kauai today — yes, first trip of 2013! — and was searching online for unique to bring home. I found a blog post by my gal pal Kim Steutermann Rogers who lists the following omiyage from the Garden Isle:

• Anahola Granola
• Tip Top Cafe cookies
• Hanalei tea
• Island Soap & Candle Works
• Kauai Kookie
• Kauai Coffee
• Aunty Lilikoi’s dressings, mustards, butters, jellies and syrups
• Aloha Spice Co. seasonings
• Maile Organics
• Engineer hat from a.ell designs

Some of these — Anahola Granola and Kauai Kookie — can be found on Oahu. But the others, namely Aloha Spice Co. and Aunty Lilikoi’s slew of products, can’t. I would also add Papa’a Sweet Potato Chips from Hanapepe to that list, too. Granted, only if the shop is open when you get there. (After all, we are talking about Kauai!)

So I’d love to hear your omiyage picks for each island, including Oahu. It’s great to know what I should take to my Neighbor Island friends, too!

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#CatTravels: Kauai post coming!

About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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13 Comments

  • Reply David Jackson January 28, 2013 at 9:07 am

    Suddenly very hungry! Except for the hat… no eat hat.

  • Reply matt January 28, 2013 at 9:14 am

    until recently it was hard to find good chinese roast duck in Hilo so we always picked one up in chinatown the morning we flew out there for new years (my uncle’s favorite and his b-day is nye, so made sense). also, napples were appreciated by our family (although Hilo is getting a zippy’s this year, so that’s off the list).

  • Reply Annoddah Dave January 28, 2013 at 9:40 am

    CAT: What about the manju from Lawai?

  • Reply Kehau January 28, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Aloha-is it Maile or Malie? I think the latter.

  • Reply Krystal January 28, 2013 at 2:08 pm

    Something good from Kauai– Chocolate Opihi! And yes, like Annoddah Dave mentioned– the Lawai Store Manji… yum! Pono Market in Kapaa also has good manju (gotta try the apple) plus they got good plate lunches =)

  • Reply Amy January 28, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    On Kauai – For kids, get a signed copy of one of Dr. Carolan’s books, or for adults, a piece of unique artwork from The Banana Patch studio (Kilauea or Hanapepe locations). Huge fan of Veronica’s Jewelry in Hanapepe available at the The Puʻuwai Haoʻkila Gallery.

    On Oahu – I always bring home Honolulu Cookie Company cookies – these you can only get online or in Oahu. Macnut treats are available everywhere in California (COSTCO!!) so not as special or unique anymore. Also, Lion Brand coffee. Inexpensive, but delicious and not available on the mainland. Also, hurricane popcorn and Hawaii exclusive le Sportsac items.

  • Reply M January 28, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    Hello Cat!
    The last time I been to Kauai, which was a very long time ago, I brought back a large bag of red Hanapepe sea salt.

  • Reply Bumper January 28, 2013 at 7:40 pm

    A few varieties of Aloha Spice Co. seasonings can be found at Foodland Farms. Good stuff.

  • Reply soogs January 29, 2013 at 3:12 pm

    if you’re on kauai on a thursday, its got to be kulolo!

    • Reply Jermel January 29, 2013 at 11:41 pm

      yes Kulolo!!! the best comes from Kauai.

  • Reply Sharon January 30, 2013 at 9:00 am

    I’m in love with the dry packages of papaya seed dressing. It is so good
    On a salad.

  • Reply zzzzzz January 30, 2013 at 11:36 am

    Any manapua is good omiyage to take to Maui.

    • Reply Catherine Toth February 7, 2013 at 8:58 pm

      That’s very, very true!

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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