Talking All Things Taro With Papa Tottori
Last season we featured iconic Taro Brand on the show, and we just had to have them back.
Visiting this time was owner and patriarch of the Taro Brand family Ernest “Papa” Tottori, and staff member Nicole Shiraishi making some of their favorites for us.
Papa Tottori is retired, but you still can find him at Taro Brand headquarters every day checking up on this massive production. He has seen agriculture in Hawaii take many turns and has stories to prove it.
I would visit their offices to sit and talk story. As he showed me photos of agricultural land no longer farmed, I listened to his amazing stories of how taro was everywhere on this island.
After bugging him for months, he finally agreed to come into our kitchen and share with us some of his favorite recipes, including Pork Luau, Lomi Lomi Dip and poi patties.
POI PATTIES
TARO BRAND PRODUCTS
• 1 cup poi
• 2 cups Taro Pancake mix
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix ingredients and form into small patties. Heat oil in frying pan and fry patties until golden brown.
Watch new episodes of Cooking Hawaiian Style Monday night at 7:30 p.m. HST on OC16 channels 12 and 1012. Get all of these recipes on CookingHawaiian Style.com.
