Trees - Horizon Guest House

Rambutan on the Big Island

Posted on October 30, 2023November 1, 2023 by Angus

The Rambutan has an unusual, almost alien-like appearance, with its bright red skin and numerous red pliable spines. But this fruit hides a delicious flesh inside and is definitely one to try during your Big Island stay.

Where did the rambutan come from?

The rambutan is not endemic to Hawaii. The fruit is native to Southeast Asia and is a relative of the lychee, longan and mamoncillo. The name rambutan comes from the Malay-Indonesian word for hair ‘rambut’, due to the fruit being covered in hair-like spines.

The rambutan

The rambutan tree is an evergreen tree that can grow to almost 80 ft. The fruit range in size from 1-2.5 inches in length. The flesh of the fruit is translucent and contains a single seed. The rambutan is eaten raw by simply cutting open and then extracting the flesh inside (you can also pull apart the skin from the middle if you don’t have a knife). The entire fruit can also be cooked and even the seed is edible.

The flesh itself is sweet and fragrant with a floral flavor. The flesh is jelly-like in consistency and is super healthy, containing vitamin C, iron and potassium. It’s often used in desserts, like sorbets and puddings as well as in curries and other savory dishes. Their shelf-life is short and they are often made into jams and jellies.

You will often find rambutan at farmers markets rather than at your local grocery store as the fruit themselves don’t travel well. Like lychee, they are even better when chilled before eating.

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Hawaii’s Amazing Kukui Nut

Posted on June 30, 2023July 13, 2023 by Angus

The little-known state tree of Hawaii is the kukui nut tree. The tree is common throughout the Hawaiian Island chain and features prominently in Hawaiian culture and mythology. Used for medicinal purposes, Hawaii’s amazing kukui nut is also polished and turned into spectacular black leis.

Where did the kukui nut tree come from?

The kukui tree originally arrived in Hawaii along with the first Polynesians. They traveled to Hawaii with the seeds of the tree in their canoes. The kukui nut tree is also known as the candlenut tree because the early settlers used the kukui nut for candles. Canoes were constructed from the wood of the kukui tree. The root of the tree was used in the process of making black paint. The paint was then used to decorate tapa cloth. By 1959 it was designated the official tree of Hawaii.

The Kukui nut

The kukui nut is used for a number of different purposes. The oil extracted from the nut was used to coat fishing nets and to water-proof canoes. The oil was also used for sore muscles, a balm for burns, and a medicine for other skin ailments. The oil was also used as an ingredients in soaps and lotions. The outer shell of the nut was used in the creation of natural dyes for tattoos.

In order to use the nut as a candle the nuts were gathered and placed along the middle part of a coconut palm frond. They were then lit and then burnt one at a time. In this way, ancient Hawaiians were able to use the burning nuts to tell the time since each nut took about 15 minutes to burn.

The nuts can also be turned into a spice. They are first roasted and the inside of the nut is turned into a spice called inamona. It also had another medicinal use – excess consumption of the inside of the nut has a laxative effect!

(The photos below show the kukui nut in stages, from when it’s first picked fresh, then as it ages, as the shell breaks away, and finally the nut itself).

Kukui nut leis

In order to create the famous kukui nut leis, the nuts are collected then sanded, buffed and eventually polished until they produce a dark brown or black color. The leis themselves are often used by hula dancers, or exchanged by couples at marriage ceremonies. Kukui nuts have also been used as prayer tokens. They were thought to capture a person’s spiritual energy. The kukui nut leis were often worn by Kahunas (priests) and the aili’i (royalty).

Hawaii’s amazing kukui nut has a wide variety of uses but there’s nothing like a beautifully polished kukui nut lei!

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The Kukui Nut Tree: The State Tree of Hawaii

Posted on January 30, 2022July 13, 2023 by Angus

Can you identify the state tree of Hawaii? Hint: it’s not a palm tree. It’s the Kukui Nut Tree. This tree is widespread throughout the Hawaiian Islands and plays an important part in Hawaiian culture and mythology. The Kukui nut has a wide variety of uses including medicinal.

Where did it come from?

When the Polynesians first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands they brought with them the seeds of the Kukui tree, stowed away in their canoes. In 1959 it became the official state tree of Hawaii.

The many uses of the Kukui nut tree

The Kukui nut

The Kukui nut itself is perhaps the most prized part of the tree. Ancient Hawaiians used the oil derived from the nuts to coat fishing nets, while the outer shells were used in the process of creating natural dyes for tattoos. The oil could also be used as a dressing for treating sore muscles, burns, or other skin complaints. The oil is often an ingredient in soaps, candles, lotions, and even as an oil for surfboards!

Known elsewhere as the Candlenut tree, ancient Hawaiians would burn Kukui nuts in order to use them like candles. Nuts were strung along the middle section of a coconut palm frond, then lit and burnt one at a time. Because each nut burns for approximately 15 minutes, ancient Hawaiians were able to use them to measure time.

The nuts can also be roasted and the inside of the nut turned into a spice called inamona. This spice is still used in traditional poke recipes. Depending on how the inside of the nut is consumed it can also be used as a laxative(!).

Kukui nuts are also used to create leis by stringing together a collection of nuts. The nuts are sanded, then buffed and polished until either dark brown, black or even white. The leis are often worn by hula dancers, or exchanged by couples during marriage ceremonies.

The rest of the Kukui Nut Tree

The wood from the Kukui tree was used to make canoes. The wood of the Kukui needs to be waterproofed before it’s ocean-ready and Kukui nut oil is perfect for this purpose. The roots are even used as part of the process to make black paint which was traditionally used to decorate canoes or tapa cloth.

The Kukui nut tree can grow up to 80 feet in height, often in an oval shape. The leaves themselves have a distinct pattern, often having three or five lobes (projections of the blade of the leaf with the gaps between them).

Can I eat a Kukui nut?

Since the nut has laxative properties, it’s not recommended that you eat a Kukui nut. It functions more as an ingredient in spice, rather than something to be consumed on its own.

Hawaiian mythology

In Hawaiian mythology Kamapua’a was a wild demi-god, half pig and half man, able to change from one to the other. The kukui tree is known as a kinolau – the physical embodiment of Kamapua’a. You’ll find that if you fold a kukui leaf in half along the stem, the leaf appears in the shape of a boar head.

The Kukui trees are among the first trees you’ll see on arrival at Horizon Guest House. Look out for them as you drive up the first section of the driveway from the gate – they line either side of the driveway.

The Kukui nut tree was not only an important source of wood for canoes but the nut, and its many uses, became an integral part of ancient Hawaiian life.

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