I adore Hawaiian words. With 13 letters total, 5 of which are vowels, the rest consonants and an ‘okina (‘), you can bet I was confused when I moved here believing all words sounded like a different hybridization of the last. I had to see it all written and repeated many times before I would commit it to memory. Lilikoi is the name for the Hawaiian passion fruit. These gorgeous golden orbs drop to the ground just at the peak of ripeness. Finding a lilikoi when they are in season is like scoring that perfect golden egg in a easter egg hunt. Filled with the quintessential tropical flavor, as a chef, I claim that what a lemon or lime can do, a lilikoi can do even better.
From a culinary standpoint, whatever a lemon or lime can do, a lilikoi can do even better.
From curds to hollandaise, savory marinades, dressings and most definitely a shrub or fresh element to a cocktail, lilikoi is a lovely as its name and when they are in season, you can bet you will taste them infused in myriad forms into my cuisine. A little aside, we lived for 6 years in Florida and we had a lilikoi vine that never fruited. I was perplexed as to what this gorgeous flower was because it never did anything other than produce fantastic blossoms. If you’ve never seen a lilikoi flower, it is one of the most spectacular and intricate blossoms I have ever seen. How ironic that my Floridian Lilikoi never gave fruit… not its season or mine I suppose as I was raising my two daughters at the time and locked away in baby prison. (loving every minute but definitely not on a career track)
My Floridian lilikoi blossom never gave fruit- not its season or mine, I suppose.
My business is a culmination of the fruit of my passions; an organic convergence of what I am passionate about which yields this fruit ( or in this case, my career!) based on all that I am passionate about- beautiful food, ingredients, inspired cuisine and healthy lifestyle. So, LILIKOI is a passionfruit, LILIKOI CREATIONS is the business I have built around what is the fruit of my passions. There, now you know. 🙂
Aloha and be blessed ~
Chef Maja
