21 year-old Daniel Shipley
Daniel Shipley lives in British Columbia and writes about food and travel at Northern Rambler, a blog about discovery. While living on Kauai for a year, he worked in the kitchen at Oasis on the Beach, a seaside restaurant that showcases farm-to-table cuisine. Inspired by this young man’s passion for food, I asked him to write about his island experience for Tasting Kauai.
It was an easy decision for me to move to Kauai. My parents had recently moved and I hadn’t spent time with them for a couple of years so it was really a no brainer. As a foodie, what drew me to the island were the alien-like fruits and vegetables that at that point were a mystery to me.
Dragon fruit looks alien, but it's delicious! Daniel Lane photo
I have seen dragon fruit on the mainland but nothing compares to what is available on Kauai. Everyone has their own way of describing how the fruit looks. Personally I think it looks like an artichoke from the world of Dr. Suess. The colors can range from red, pink and yellow to a smaller completely yellow variety. The ‘scales’ of the most common variety are red or pink and taper off in yellow. The flesh can also range in color from white to red and always contains tiny seeds throughout. A good dragon fruit should be mild in flavor but sweet, and turn to liquid after just a few bites. There are few things as refreshing as biting into the flesh of a dragon fruit on a hot day.
Soursop is very tart, hence the name. Daniel Lane photo
An even more unique fruit is Soursop. This long, prickly green fruit can grow to 5 pounds before it is ripe. When it is ripe, you can actually stick your finger through the skin to the pulpy flesh with little effort. This fruit is used often in smoothies or juices, and in ice cream. My favorite way to eat soursop is to tear a section off the whole fruit and pass it on before sucking the sweet sour pulp from its seeds. Aside from just being delicious, soursop is potentially a very useful fruit. There is reason to believe that soursop can be used for an effective cancer treatment. Studies have been conducted on mice and have proven that the fruit can fight about 12 different cancers. Delicious and lifesaving, can it get any better?
Malunggay is a familiar vegetable for the Philippine locals of Kauai, but for other ethnicities it probably doesn’t ring a bell. There are two parts to the plant that are edible, the leaves and the pods. Malunggay grows like a tree, reaching heights of 9 meters or higher. Its leaves are small, dark green and plentiful. They are good raw, in tea, or cooked quickly like spinach. The pods are commonly boiled in water, cooled and the flesh is scooped from the tough skin. The seedy flesh has a flavor very similar to asparagus. Malunggay is also extremely beneficial. The nutritional content of the plant strengthens the immune system, controls blood pressure, reduces inflammation and arthritis and can restrict the growth of tumors. And guys, the pods can give our sperm count a boost, if you’re into that.
Mangosteen, the fruit of legends. Marta Lane photo
Mangosteen; the fruit of legends. A round purple fruit with a leathery outer rind and a sweet, sometimes sour white flesh has developed quite the reputation over the years. Its flavor alone makes it constantly sought after. Queen Victoria was so obsessed with obtaining the fruit that she offered to knight anyone who could bring her the fruit in good condition. The nutritional benefits of this fruit were documented as early as 600 A.D.
In a lot of ways, being on Kauai was like going to school again. I learned so much about local produce just by shopping at the island’s Sunshine Markets and talking to the vendors.
Northern Rambler was inspired by a road trip around the USA with a friend from school. I was hypnotized by the road and yearned to see what was beyond the next bend. I had the itch. When I flew back to Kauai I gave my notice at my restaurant to plan an independent, spontaneous exploration of Canada by car. Traveling through Canada will be a unique experience. No other country varies so drastically between not only coasts, but also territories. Traveling from south to north, east to west, cultures and cuisines evolve. It’s this diversity that makes Canada such a unique country to explore. I hope to learn from the cultures of Canada, and inspire my readers to pursue their own dreams. If you have the itch too, realize that you do not have to fly half way round the world to discover new things. Get in your car and drive. You will feel like you have crossed a border into a distant country.
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