A Passion for Lilikoi

There is something about lilikoi, the tang, the sweetness, and that unmistakable flavor that always leaves you wanting a little more. Like pineapple, lilikoi is a non-native species that has become deeply rooted in Hawai’i cuisine. Unlike pineapple, lilikoi is not grown in large quantities in Hawai’i these days. This can pose a challenge for lovers of lilikoi. Luckily, several local food companies that are passionate about this unique fruit continue to find ways to make sure there is plenty of lilikoi flavor to go around.

Lilikoi Comes to Hawaii

Lilikoi is known as passion fruit in English, and maracuya in Spanish and Portuguese. Like pineapple it’s native to Brazil and other parts of South America but it took a roundabout route to Hawaii. The seeds of the plant were first brought to the islands in the 1880’s from Australia and it was first planted in Lilikoi Gulch on Maui which became the plant’s name in Hawaiian. With its beautiful and exotic flowers and flavorful fruits, lilikoi plants soon became popular additions to local home gardens. People often think of lilikoi as being either purple or golden, but there are almost 20 different types currently grown in Hawai’i. The viny plant can thrive in home gardens where it receives lots of attention and water, and even become an invasive pest in certain parts of the islands where conditions are just right.

Commercial lilikoi cultivation did take place in Hawaii and reached a peak in the1960’s with several hundred acres in commercial cultivation around the state. However, large scale growing did not last. Lilikoi tends to be water intensive, wind intolerant, and some varieties don’t cope well with direct tropical sun. Creating ideal growing conditions in Hawai’i’s current agricultural areas takes work and resources, and at the moment few farmers choose to prioritize lilikoi over other more predictable and profitable crops. For those that want to manufacture locally with this unique fruit, that often means importing, using a mix of local and imported, or manufacturing only when there is enough fruit available.

The Original: POG

One of the first commercially manufactured products with lilikoi in Hawaiʻi was of course, POG. Haleakala Dairy on Maui began making a mix of Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava juices in the 1970’s and gave it a catchy name for the initials of the fruits. The drink was immediately a hit, especially with local kids. Soon the game they played with their POG bottle caps caught on nationally with some caps becoming valuable collectibles. POG the drink has caught on too and is now a nationally and internationally known taste of Hawaiʻi.

Haleakala Dairy was eventually bought by Meadow Gold and they still make POG locally at their Hilo Plant. Kimia Sadeghi, Business Development Manager for Meadow Gold, talked about the desire to have access to more locally grown lilikoi and other produce. “It is in fact very difficult to source local lilikoi. Especially because we need to use a consistent supply in bulk for our products, it makes it tougher. We also have that challenge with other local fruit juices and purees as well. If we had consistent access to local lilikoi I’d love to use it in our products!”

100 Flavors of Lilikoi from Maui Fruit Jewels

Lin Ter-Horst co-owner of Maui Fruit Jewels is a trained pastry chef who has lived all over the world from Shanghai to New York to London. She knows that the appeal of lilikoi is universal and believes the Chinese name describes it best, “They call this fruit “BAI XIANG GUO” which is translates to “Hundred-Flavor Fruit”, meaning this fruit contain flavors and notes from all other fruits.” Maui Fruit Jewels captures these 100 flavors in a range of distinctive products including 100% lilikoi puree, lilikoi and POG fruit pastes, lilikoi fruit jellies, and lilikoi short breads.

When Maui Fruit Jewels began making their lilikoi products the biggest obstacle initially was the need to process lilikoi by hand. Now, with mechanized processing capabilities, sourcing enough lilikoi to meet their demand has become the bigger challenge. They aggregate lilikoi from a number of small producers until they have at least 1500lbs and up to 3000lbs to process and turn into their value-added products. In previous years they used exclusively Maui grown lilikoi, but lately they are bringing in Big Island grown fruit as well. Adequate water supply is critical for growing big juicy lilikoi and the drought in Maui has hit lilikoi production hard.

Still, Lin is optimistic, scarcity of lilikoi led to a lack of production capacity in the past, but the cycle can be reversed. As production increases there is a greater demand which incentivizes more cultivation. She hopes that in the future they can secure a consistent supply which will allow them to scale up their local manufacturing operation and make even more lilikoi products.

Lilikoi Farm to Table and Jar with Liko Lehua

Liko Lehua is the parent company of Liko Lehua Cafe, Liko Lehua Butter, and Liko Lehua at the Farm, a ten-acre farm in ʻŌlaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island where they grow produce to create their value-added products. Lilikoi butter is a customer favorite, and they feature lilikoi in a wide range of menu items at the cafe, from burgers to milkshakes, hand-shaken lemonade, and soft serve ice cream.

Even growing their own supply of lilikoi on the farm, Liko Lehua faces challenges as a value-added producer working with locally grown products. Growing high in elevation near Volcano has many advantages, but it means a late and short growing season for lilikoi. This year the lilikoi vines didn’t fruit until September at the farm. When there is not enough lilikoi to meet production demand they have to ship in lilikoi from the mainland, like many Hawaiʻi producers.

Despite the challenges of sourcing and producing with lilikoi the fruit still holds a special place in the heart of those that love it enough to manufacture with it. Dawn Kanealii-Kleinflder, Liko Lehua’s owner described the deep connection it has for many Hawaiʻi residents, “Lilikoi is a fruit that’s entwined within our DNA in Hawaiʻi. I think every keiki growing up has a memory of lilikoi. Whether it’s fresh off the vine, shave ice, or maybe you had pancakes covered in Lilikoi Butter over Sunday morning breakfast at Tutu’s house. There is something about the way a tart lilikoi fruit catches and stimulates all those taste buds on your palette. We love it in the cafe because it’s refreshing, light and helps evoke those feel-good memories from growing up as a keiki in Hawaiʻi.”