Honokaa Heritage Center was originally established in 2011 by UH-Hilo as its Honokaa satellite campus.
In 2021, the center separated from UH-Hilo and became an independent 501(c)(3) and reopened in the historic Botelho building in downtown Mamane Street three years ago.
Since then, it has welcomed 20,000 visitors to tour the exhibits and learn more about Honokaa, its history and its culture.
Honokaa Heritage Center is planning its first event, the 2024 Hamakua Sugar Days Festival, to mark the 30th anniversary of the closure of Hamakua Sugar Company. The festival will be from October 5 to 20 and feature a diverse lineup of educational, family-friendly events built around the immigrant history, sustainable agriculture, plantation values and lifestyles, the triumph of human resilience over adversity, the evolution of labor relations and movements, and more.
As part of the festival, the Center is publishing its first “heritage cookbook.” The first volume of “Harvesting Memories. A Collection of Hamakua Heritage Recipes,” a celebration of cuisine and culture, is currently at the printer..
Linda Erskine was raised in Honokaa, graduated from Honokaa High School and has many fond memories of the town. Linda currently owns Bobbi Lyn’s in Hilo for the past 11 years.
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Linda Erskine
1 cup quinoa
1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup cooked black beans
2 ripe tomatoes
1 cob cooked corn
2 handfuls cilantro leaves
1/2 red chile, more if you want more heat
2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small avocados, ripe but firm
Add the quinoa and stock into a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat immediately and cover tightly with a lid.
Cook for approximately 15 minutes. Wash and deseed tomatoes, dice into corn-sized pieces. Cut corn kernels off of the cob. Wash and peel the onions, chop finely. Peel the avocado and dice into corn-sized pieces. Wash the cilantro leaves and chop the red chile. Chop the cilantro leaves. Place onion, black beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado, cilantro and red chile to a bowl. Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff with a fork. Add to the bowl with the other ingredients.
Season with salt and pepper and lots of lime juice. Serves 4.
Carol Ignacio has been recognized for her boundless energy, candor and determination to help the less fortunate. Carol has pioneered numerous grassroots initiatives to aid the hungry, the homeless, former prison inmates, the unemployed and others on the fringes of society.
Carol has also been honored and lauded many times over by government and community groups. She and her husband Larry were the proprietors of Gramma’s Kitchen in Honokaa.
Mimi’s Crab Cakes
Carol Ignacio
1 large or 2 medium eggs, beaten to blend
3/4 cup panko
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cans lump crabmeat, drained in a colander to remove liquid, or 2 pounds fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over (We used canned crab meat at Gramma’s so our customers can afford this item. Chicken of the Sea brand worked very well.)
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup or more canola oil
Lemon wedges and tartar sauce for serving
Combine egg, mayonnaise, mustard and 1/4 cup panko, Worcestershire sauce and optional hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
In a medium bowl, mix crab meat and fresh parsley. Fold into the egg mixture, then form into 8 patties (thick). Coat patties with the remaining 1/2 cup panko or more if needed.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, coat pan with oil and heat until hot. Working in batches and adding more oil if needed, cook crab cakes, turning once, until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.