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Meet Pala'ai

Brighten your plate with heirloom, Hawai’i-grown Pumpkin

Pala‘ai in History

Palaʻai, also known as pumpkin or winter squash, is one of the oldest known crops, originating in the western hemisphere and grown sustainably by Native Americans for thousands of years. Now spread globally, squash is a sustainable favorite, fitting well into the Pacific agroforestry model and is thought to have made its way to Hawaiʻi with Japanese and Filipino immigrants in the plantation era. 

From the three sisters to Pacific agroforestry, palaʻai has always played an important role in sustainable food systems. Today, our island farmers incorporate squash into their diversified, small farms in a variety of ways, from multi-story agroforests where it serves as a weed-suppressing ground cover crop to an alley crop between rows of ‘ulu trees.

Palaʻai in the Kitchen

Is pumpkin a staple in your home? This humble crop sustained civilizations for millennia. Learn how to make it a culinary staple, from soups and salads to pies and cakes, with our recipe collection.

Pala‘ai Recipes

Meet our farmers: Sweet Treats and Eats

Aileen Lubong and her ʻohana manage Sweet Treats and Eats, a home bakery and farm based in Puna on Hawaiʻi island. 

Aileen’s farm sprawls across 3 acres of open land, greeting visitors with ʻulu, dragonfruit and other fruit trees. Palaʻai vines act as ground cover in agroforests of ʻulu, avocado, Hawaiian chili pepper, rollinia, rambutan, longan, citrus, soursop, mango, jackfruit, and lychee trees.

"We want to grow food in an approach that not only sustains the land but heals and improves it," she says.

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Featured Recipes

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Vegan Kabocha Squash Soup

'Ulu Mousse Frosted Pumpkin Muffins

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pala‘ai Fast Facts

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