Tī not Tea

Aloha! Around the property you will see many red, green and black tī plants. These are not the plants from which the English get the ingredients for their afternoon tea but are a plant brought to Hawaii for a variety of reasons.

In ancient Hawaii, according to Wikipedia, 'the plant was thought to have great spiritual power. Only kahuna (shamans) and aliʻi (chiefs) were able to wear leaves around their necks during certain ritual activities. Tī was sacred to the god of fertility and agriculture Lono, and the goddess of the forest and the hula dance, Laka.

Tī leaves were also used to make lei, and to outline borders between properties. It was also planted at the corners of the home to keep evil spirits away and was used in hula skirts. And to this day some Hawaiians plant tī near their houses to bring good luck.'

Going back to the English, I really do appreciate many of their contributions to other societies. In this case, English seamen introduced the concept of distillation to the Hawaiians circa 1790.

The root of green tī plants were used to make an alcoholic drink. It's a distinctly Hawaiian production and is called ʻŌkolehao which is an award-winning tequila type drink. It's still made today and a revitalization is happening right here in Hilo with one of the best varieties being made by the local 'Ola Brew company.

With that, let me leave you with a Hawaiian word of the day: ' ʻŌkole ' -- which translates to ' bottom ', aka butt. It is another of the 800 Greek words that made their way into the Polynesian languages.

Aloha! Check availability for both houses at: https://www.airbnb.com/p/oceanfront-ac-pool

If there are topics you would like to know more about in future blogs, kindly let me know at koilipoint@gmail.com. Mahalo! Len