You have probably never heard of ulu, I hadn’t until my first trip to Maui last year. It is known to the rest of the world as breadfruit but it isn’t known well at all. But it should be because while everyone is focusing on how to ship peanuts to Africa, something already exists that can feed the world.

Today was my second time visiting the Breadfruit Institute and I promise myself this time I would share why breadfruit could be so important to addressing food security around the world. It looks like stinky durian or jackfruit but it isn’t really a fruit but is used more like a potato or other starch. Hawaiians used to eat it traditionally but over the years their diet has changed so while they may have grown up with a breadfruit tree in their backyard, they wouldn’t think now to eat it.

And that is too bad because the micronutrients are higher than the commonly eaten rice and there is more potassium than taro. And with so many Hawaiians having issues with obesity and diabetes this is a great option as it is low on the glycemic index.

But its usefulness doesn’t stop there.

Breadfruit grows like a weed – quickly and without much maintenance needed. Traditionally it grows in tropical climates, its ancestor is the breadnut from Papua New Guinea, it’s well known in the Caribbean and they still eat it in Jamaica. A while back the Breadfruit Institute looked at a map of where the world had issues with food security. When they overlayed a map of where the trees would grow well they discovered they were the same areas.

It doesn’t get any easier than that.

But the Breadfruit Institute is not a government organization, it depends on private donors who know about its cause and want to help. The Institute just spend eight years developing a propagation methodology so that they could send trees that are ready to be planted when they arrive. So far they are in Ghana, Liberia, Burma and Haiti amongst other regions.

The institute on Hawaii is a small patch of land but there are over 120 varieties, some exist here but no longer where they originated. Ian Cole explains the focus is to preserve the collection rather than to breed new varieties because they simply do not have the capacity to do both well and there is a need to send varieties that already exist to regions around the world.

Here Ian practices what he preaches. There are no potatoes in his house, he has replaced every meal that requires potatoes with breadfruit and his girlfriend from Chile has figured out how to use it for empanadas. He spends a lot of time working with chefs and the community, showing them how to cook with it. At the annual Aloha festival there is a breadfruit cooking contest to show locals there is versatility and sophistication to the fruit that may be in their backyard.

And because I asked with such pushiness…err enthusiasm. He found an over ripe fruit for me, which has the consistency of a fruity custard. Believe me if you tried this fruit you would never look at bland old potatoes the same way again.

Ian told me there is a Jamaican company that slices and freezes the fruit for distribution in the Caribbean and I wonder if I could find it in Toronto.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Maui Visitor’s Bureau, they did not request that I write a favourable review or go back a third time for more of the over ripe custard.

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Feeding the world with ulu is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Feeding the world with ulu is a post from: Bacon is Magic

When chef crush Isaac offered the chance to visit one of his suppliers I canceled my scheduled plans to hang out with him. One of the things I liked the most was that he is as opinionated about food as I am, and more so with farming. People may complain about the price of food on Maui but they forget that Maui is isolated in the middle of the ocean, with more farmers retiring it is critical to find new ways to grow locally sourced food.

Today he was visiting his microgreens (pretty green bits on plates) supplier who has also started an escargot farm. I expected to visit some grand place and learn about how to farm snails. As we park in a residential driveway Isaac explains that we are going to visit his cousin Monica, who is related to him distantly by blood and also marriage, and jokes that you have to be careful who you date on the island as it’s a small community.

Entering her small greenhouse I learn that she was previously an esthetician and massage therapist but once she became pregnant started thinking about running a home business. After she had the baby she taught herself how to grow plants by aquaponics by watching Youtube videos on her iPhone as she was nursing.

Eventually she started successfully growing microgreens and her first client was my other Maui chef crush Sheldon who encouraged her to go to the Maui AgFest last year to build more contacts for her business.

This is why AgFest is so important.

One year ago she went to AgFest, brought her microgreens and was able to talk to all the chefs in one day. Today she has 7 restaurants selling her greens, working with her on what they need for the restaurant. She only grows organically and shows us how she works with the land using methods to keep the soil healthy. It’s really admirable that she taught herself everything and now helps others.

But this isn’t the end of her story. Remember the snails? Although she raises them as part of her aquaponics system we head over to her Uncle Tony’s to see a much bigger system in the backyard where he uses every possible square inch the land will provide. From there they explain how every piece of equipment has been salvaged or from Craigslist and the water pump is only 1/6 horsepower and costs only $15/month to fuel this big system.

Technical details aside I’m more impressed by the spirit of community here.  At this year’s AgFest Isaac chose to feature escargot as his main ingredient in the competition. It was my favourite dish of the competition and I thought he should have won. More importantly every dish the chefs make was also available for hundreds of festival attendees. People who wanted to try his food were also eating Monica’s snails.

You can’t beat that kind of exposure.

It takes 5 months to raise snails to maturity. Tony and Monica already have a waiting list of chefs who want their product. Sure learning about aquaponics was really interesting but learning how a community comes to support each other is so much more inspiring.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Maui Visitors Bureau but they did not request I write a favourable review or ask that I harass Isaac to take me to see one of his suppliers.

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The power of community is a post from: Bacon is Magic

The power of community is a post from: Bacon is Magic

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was going back to Maui Ag Fest. I attended last year and had been asked to judge a cooking contest this year I returned to do the same.

Besides my obvious interest in agriculture, I really think this festival is special because unlike many of the upscale food and wine events this day is for locals. There are special challenges with farming in Maui given that it is so isolated and on this day people can connect with farmers, food growers and chefs.

This year was more special because I ran into so many people I had met last year and it was so nice to see familiar faces.

And the food….

And because I’m really trying to learn video I wanted to create one for the festival to try to share the spirit of the event.

Disclosure: I was a guest of Maui Visitors Bureau but they did not request I write a favourable review or walk laps around the festival so I could make room to eat more.

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Food Friday: Maui Ag Fest Video is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Food Friday: Maui Ag Fest Video is a post from: Bacon is Magic

I’m in a bit of a silly mood today.

Although I dearly love my country and I am so proud to be Canadian I think I was born in the wrong place. This year I really thought spending winter in Toronto would be food for me but after 5 days on Maui I can see that the cold weather meant my spirit was in hibernation. With less than a week of sun I feel like I am thriving. I have more energy, feel more relaxed and overall I am happier.

I feel younger.

Not that I’m old. I am happy to be 35 but the sun seems to shed things that were starting to weigh me down. It definitely has something to do with Maui. I haven’t reached my half way point on this trip and I am already contemplating how I can return for a month next winter. I was really happy in Toronto but I think I need to focus on staying there in the warmer months and keep traveling in the colder months, at least January through April.

And I know this may be the cheesiest song in the history of summertime pop, but I still love it.

Welcome summer. I missed you.

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Aloha Summer! is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Aloha Summer! is a post from: Bacon is Magic

I have to be honest, when I heard that the Ritz Carlton Kapalua wanted to show me their hotel garden I was a bit suspicious this would be a case of “garden washing.” I mean sure I expect a luxury experience from them with great food, but I thought it would be a 10×10 plot of land with a few herbs.

Per usual I was wrong.

I don’t usually write about hotels because eventually they all start to look the same. Sure the service here is top-notch, but you expect that from a luxury hotel. Honestly every hotel says they are about their community, the environment and the local culture. I come from marketing, I know those are all the right things to say. But this garden and their plans for the future made me think again about the Ritz Carlton.

Let me start from the beginning.

This garden didn’t start out as an altruistic effort and I’m okay with that. Nearly six years ago the hotel was spending a fortune on herbs that were being shipped over from the main land and were terrible quality. Let’s face it, if you are the Ritz Carlton, you can’t have limp greens.

The kitchen decided they needed to start growing them if they wanted quality food. The problem is that most kitchens have staff that work so hard they have little time to devote to other projects so for a few years they kept it going but struggled trying to figure out how to make things more efficient.

Finally last year everyone agreed they needed to bring someone in; fortunately at the same time Frank, a retiree from the business world, wanted to take on a new challenge.

This is where the real story begins.

With a commitment to the garden it really began to thrive. Frank started with simply reviving the orchids that were dying in people’s rooms. Then he moved onto planting more herbs, vegetables and fruit including local species of things I have never seen before like a version of spinach that grows like a bush.

But here is what blew me away.

Now they save over $30,000 alone in herbs in the hotel garden. They are ripping out the tennis courts and planning to grow an orchard and there is a desire to figure out how they can introduce beehives to benefit the garden. They are also looking at how they can expand their greenhouse so there are more tomatoes and other plants and then bring solar-powered lights for dinners at night.

But in all my travels this is what I am starting to learn: if big businesses would just start to take risks like this they can create programs that are good for their bottom line and what travelers really want. Sure you can eat in some grand dining room but that’s not what you are going to tell your friends and family about. but spend a night in a garden surrounded by the smell of fresh lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and you’ll never forget it.

And when they succeed others will follow.

I’m okay with businesses doing the “right thing” for profit and I admire them when they actually admit that’s why they are doing it. I know there is always a level of people wanting to make change for the better but this program actually shows that it can be a smart business move to go local and organic. I am so tired of the argument that local/organic is too expensive and for a loss of profit and I really hope the hotel expands because I know the staff want it to work on a philosophical level.

Some days I wish more people could see that sustainability is win-win for everyone.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Maui Visitors Bureau. They did not request that I write a favourable review or think that the smoothie that Chef April Marie Lower Matsumoto created with herbs from the garden was so good that I wished she lived in Toronto.

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How does your garden grow is a post from: Bacon is Magic

How does your garden grow is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Okay so this one is a bit unfair to call a Food Friday because they are not food but pets of the Ritz Carlton Kapalua.

Loco and Moco were named after the typical Hawaiian breakfast which consists of white rice topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg and gravy. Often it is topped with more meat or kalua pork or spam. I love trying local dishes and last year I spent a month discovering Hawaiian food, yet I could not bring myself to try it and I’m not sure I can this visit either as I’m still trying to shed the weight from eating all that food in Finland.

These pigs are adorable. When I stopped by these micropigs were being fed and their little tails wagging made me laugh. Also, oddly enough they need to change dish bowls every so often, maybe they have order envy as well?

I also found out Loco and Moco are on Facebook, I sort of feel badly that I love the taste of pork so much.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Maui Visitors Bureau, but they did not request that I write a favourable review or feel slightly guilty for thinking the food I eat is cute. But hey they are micro pigs, that is kind of different, right?

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Food Friday: Meet Loco and Moco is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Food Friday: Meet Loco and Moco is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Heading out to Kupa’a Organic Farm on the north side of Maui I got lost twice but the landscape is so beautiful I don’t even care. It’s on the slopes of Haleakala and it’s not the Maui you would expect. Higher in elevation it is lush farm country without a snorkel or speedo to be seen.

And while I am fascinated with the farming and local food issues in Maui, I wasn’t able to visit a farm last year so I was so happy to head out to Kupa’a Farm my first day. Even better, Gerry and Janet, who inherited the farm are from Canada and they have turned it into something amazing.

Once a monocrop of corn, there were soil issues and it was expensive to produce the corn. Neither Gerry nor Janet were farmers in Canada but they were both gardeners and Gerry worked in geology so when they took over the farm ten years ago they decided they needed to re-evaluate the land and begin an organic farm.

Today, when you ask Gerry what the farm specializes in he says building great soil. Many of the plants there are not for eating but increasing the diversity. They rarely have any issues with pests and Gerry attributes it to understand seasonality, when plants are grown at the proper time (rather than forcing them to be available year round) they are happy plants and have less issues.

It took a decade to figure out which of the over 100 lettuce varieties would thrive on the land, they also have several varieties of taro, elephant garlic (leek), and a number of other vegetables that took much trial and error. But it has paid off, they supply their produce to 15 families through a CSA, local restaurants and are one of the most popular stands at the farmer’s market.

What makes this farm particularly interesting is that other than Gerry and Janet, every other worker is a volunteer/intern. Each Monday they plant lettuce and it’s volunteer day where people can sign up to volunteer and work for free organic food.

On a larger scale they also have housing for two unpaid interns and are building accommodation for two more. You can stay as long as you want, one intern who just left stayed two years, there is now a couple here now going on five months. Some of the volunteers aspire to eventually begin their own organic farm but not everyone makes it, but Gerry says it is still positive as the intern then understands why organic food is so expensive.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the Maui Visitors Bureau. They did not request that I write a favourable review or start to question if I had the chops to be an intern on the farm.

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Want to learn organic farming? is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Want to learn organic farming? is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Almost exactly three years ago I left for Mexico, turning my back on a relationship, career and most of my possessions. The journey has been incredible. I have taken many risks but have also been immensely fortunate and I could never imagine going back to my old life.

I’m in control of my direction, my happiness. And so now it is the night before I leave again. Two weeks on Maui, 10 days in Brazil, 10 days in the Galapagos and then two months free to wander South America.

While so much has changed in the last three years I feel similar to how I did the first time I left home.

Afraid.

I have learned to accept that I am always going to have some fear because I have chosen a life of uncertainty. But things are different this time. Instead of running away from a life I realized I didn’t want, I am departing a new life in Toronto I have created. I’ve kept worthwhile old friends but met new ones. Instead of feeling like my possessions, apartment and relationship were holding me back I now embrace all of these things.

I love living in Toronto.

And so the idea of going back on the road, throwing myself into South America is a bit scary. Can I still hack it? I’ll be surrounding myself in a foreign language I have not mastered. Keeping an eye on my surroundings and belongings, hoping I don’t get robbed. It has been nearly two years since I left Buenos Aires. What if I hate it? There are so many what ifs….

When I think of things that way I have no idea why I am going. Why I would throw myself into a less than comfortable situation. Why I would yet again allow myself to be afraid. But fear is normal. We all have it, it is simply that some of us push through it. I cannot allow my fear to hold me back.

The time I spent in Latin America changed me. It made me a different person. It healed parts of me I had no idea were wounded and gave me the confidence to know I could do anything.

I can do anything.

It is going to be tough and I may be homesick but it is time. I miss that sense of fearlessness. I miss the adventure. I miss the food. I miss the smells and the people but most of all I miss who I am on the road. 

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The night before I leave is a post from: Bacon is Magic

The night before I leave is a post from: Bacon is Magic

While I don’t often offer travel tips one aspect I do like to share is my packing list because it is such an overwhelming task. Over the last three years the way I have packed has changed quite a bit:

- When I first set out I had a 65L backpack and wondered if I packed too much. Here is that RTW packing list.
- In Colombia I broke my first travel rule and bought jeans for traveling.
- Returning back to Canada I shared what I learned worked and what didn’t for packing for travel in South America.
- Heading to Europe I decided to get a 48L backpack from MEC and I packed much differently with a few controversial items. See my packing list for Europe here.

For the most part I have moved onto roll on luggage but when I traveled to Mexico last year I realized that does not work in Latin America’s cobblestone streets or Finland’s snowy streets.

It is time to break out the backpack.

But 48L is too much. I want to travel carry-on only. I know it’s so hard to believe but lighter really is better even if it means you wear the same thing over and over again.

If I can over one single piece of advice you must take is that when you go to a store to look at backpacks please get someone to help you with it. I love Mountain Equipment Co-op because it is a Canadian co-op but also they have amazing service – just don’t go on Saturday because it is ridiculously busy.

Although I thought I wanted a 35L pack, staff there made me realize that the MEC Aria 40 Daypack had a nifty separate pouch on top that was perfect for toiletries and still within carry-on guidelines. They also showed me how to make sure it fit my body and the four straps I needed to pull when I put it on.

So now onto the packing list. The next three months are a bit challenging, 2 weeks on Maui, ten days in Brazil, ten days in the Galapagos and then 2 months in South America. The good news is that it should be all warm weather but I do need to bring some nice clothes as I will be going to a conference as well as some nice restaurants on Maui. My solution?

Black dress + Tieks

I wrote a  review of Tieks and I really do love them, they fold up, are comfortable and make plain black dresses look much nicer than my bronze flip flops.

Here is the rest of my list:

Toiletries - All must be under 100ml for carry-on

Travel size shampoo and conditioner – believe me every country sells decent shampoo, I don’t need a 3 month supply

Small make-up bag
Sunscreen – I’ll buy more as I need it
Travel size hair dryer and flat iron – I know this it controversial but I’ve learned it’s non negotiable for me.
Medication – lip chip sized bottle of acetaminophen with a few sinus pills in it. If I need more I can buy it.

Electronics - I wish I could go with less but I need to blog so these are non negotiable.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 – my Canon 60D and 3 lenses were too much. I bought this in Portland and have never looked back.
Go Pro Hero 3 with waterproof casing and headstrap for the Galapagos
Hard drive for back-up
HP Laptop – wish I had a Macbook and when I can afford it I’ll upgrade
Samsung Galaxy III with extra battery.
Chargers, memory cards etc.

Clothing

1 bra
8 pairs of underwear (I won’t do laundry more than once a week)
4 dresses (2 black for events)
2 swim suits (Latin America has atrocious quality for swim suits, last time I only took one and couldn’t find another without lining when it fell apart)
2 pairs of shorts
2 tank tops
1 skirt
1 t-shirt
1 long sleeve shirt
1 button up shirt

One thing that has not changed from the first time I traveled was the use of packing cubes. I use them in backpacks and luggage. I put shirts and shorts in one, undergarmets and swim suits in another and dresses in a third. They are incredible, especially when you need to search through a bag to find something.

Most importantly, I do not believe in turtle-ing – you know the backpackers that have one bag on their back and another on their front. I have a small purse that goes across my body that I’ll exchange for a messenger bag on the road. But whatever I buy it also has to fit in the backpack.

Disclosure: MEC gave me the Aria 40 but did not request I write a favourable review. I would have purchased it myself. I have been a MEC member for years and I try to buy as much as I can there. 

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The art of packing light is a post from: Bacon is Magic

The art of packing light is a post from: Bacon is Magic

I write chronologically because it is how I have always written. I have kept a journal since I was five and now this site has become my journal…well except for my love life, I am just not ready to share all of that mess.

But there is a problem with a chronological format. I have never written one of my best stories because it happened 5 years ago.

Getting robbed was the best thing to happen to me.

Let me explain.

I was on a three week holiday with The Ex through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. I was a comparatively experienced traveler and had already traveled in France, New Zealand and lived in the Philippines so I felt comfortable in South East Asia.

But I made a ridiculous mistake.

Coming overland from Phenom Penh to Saigon we were asked to show our passports so many times I had thrown my money belt in my messenger bag. After we checked into our hotel I forgot to remove it.

And then it happened. Less than an hour in Saigon we went for a stroll. A scooter came up on the sidewalk to drive in between us. The Ex let go of my hand to make space and they slashed my bag off my body with a knife and I stood there completely stunned.

I was in shock. So was everyone around me.

DSLR Camera

Credit Cards

Debit Cards

Cash

Passport!!

You would think this type of devastating situation would leave me despising Vietnam but this story is not over.

Locals on the street signaled for us to stay as they went to get help. They returned with several more people on scooters who spoke English and told us to get on the back so they could take us to the police station. They stayed with us for two hours as I wrote the incident in English, they translated to Vietnamese then waited to ensure the police stamped the report.

Complete strangers.

I was so grateful but knew the real task was to get a replacement passport. As I was only on holiday I needed to fly home to Canada in five days and could not do so without it. At the Canadian consulate I met sympathetic staff who did not want me to miss out on traveling up through the country to Hanoi.

I completed a new application and they told me they would process it and send it to Hanoi so I could pick it up when I arrived five days later. They encouraged me to go and see the rest of their country and emailed me every day with a status update, reassuring me I would be fine.

I arrived in Hanoi and picked up my passport. I did learn practical tips that I now employ when I travel but the biggest takeaway was the generosity of the Vietnamese. They were kind to me when I needed it the most and went far beyond what was expected. I am grateful for getting robbed in Saigon.

Since then I have been robbed in Nicaragua and my sister was robbed in Ecuador, her first day visiting me. I’m still so thankful that I was robbed in Vietnam because I am no longer afraid.

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The first time I was robbed is a post from: Bacon is Magic

The first time I was robbed is a post from: Bacon is Magic