An Englishman walks into a bar. “Pardon me,” he says, “but do you happen to have any Poi English Muffins?” Absolutely, positively, YES! Hawaii Star Bakery makes sophisticated poi muffins by hand, to utter poi-fection. And they’re totally fat-free.
Muriel Stevens, the food critic at the Las Vegas Sun, wrote on April 14, 2000: “In years past I spent many months in Hawaii studying Asian cooking. At church luaus, which I attended regularly, I also got to eat what the Hawaiians eat at luaus: poi, ophi, poi, lomi lomi salmon, poi, pit-cooked pig, poi and coconut pudding. Poi was not my favorite. I would regularly trade my poi with the little kids. They loved it. Now I do, too — not the dip-the-fingers-in kind, but the products made by The Poi Company in Honolulu.
“First came a package of poi English muffins. Poi is not an appealing color unless you’re Hawaiian. It’s a sort of puce color; so were the English muffins. It took me many days before I decided to try them. Finally, I toasted one. It was so good I couldn’t believe it. Then came poi cheesecake. It was the same color. I usually taste-test new food products with my fellow writers, but I knew no one would taste it if I labeled the sample pieces “poi cheesecake.” Instead, I identified it as “Hawaiian cheesecake” and everyone found it delicious.
“I’m not the only one who now enjoys poi-enriched foods (poi is healthy stuff). The Poi Company has expanded the line to include poi bagels, poi lavosh, poi biscotti, poi ice cream, lomi salmon cream cheese, macadamia nut butter and poi dog biscuits for Fido. It would be happy to make your life poiful.”
Although we have discontinued the manufacture of fresh poi, Hawaii Star Bakery has continued to make these delicious muffins. They are made with so-called “sour” poi — poi which is delivered to the grocery stores, and which didn’t sell. The poi manufacturer issues a credit to the store, and then flash-freezes the “sour” poi. The Poi English Muffins have always been made in the same way (with “sour” poi) by Hawaii Star Bakery.
>> Update Number 2 – April 26, 2006 <<
I have now obtained more information on the fate of the Hawaii Star Bakery Poi English Muffins.
According to an April 19, 2006 e-mail received from Liane Small at the bakery: “We have stopped shipping our Poi Muffins to the Mainland because of the high cost of freight from Fedex and UPS. Because these muffins are very perishable, all shipments must be made by air and majority of the customers did not want to pay the price to ship after hearing the price for freight.
“Our products, including the Poi Muffins, can be found in most major supermarkets (Foodland, Times, etc.) in Hawaii. Thank you for keeping people informed about our Poi Muffins.”
In Memory of Tim Morikawa
We haven’t known many bakers. Tim was the best we’d met. We’ve known a few gentlemen. Tim was definitely one of the best.
Tim ran Hawaii Star Bakery. His dad started in the 1940’s, spending years perfecting the best English muffin we’d ever tasted. And while Tim wanted to play with cars and motors and get his hands greasy, he worked in the bakery. As his dad grew older and more forgetful, Tim respected his dad and did what his dad wanted. This meant sticking stamps on envelopes, rather than getting a postage meter. And handwriting checks rather than using Quicken, but Tim was respectful.
Tim could whine and complain, but he was always there when we needed help. He could suck on his teeth and shake his head, but he always came through for us. We last went to Hawaii Star Bakery on a Saturday, before we left for England. Tim was working on an engine, and I snapped this picture when we said our goodbyes and told him we’d see him when we got back to Honolulu in a few months.
But we won’t.
We learned that Tim died. He was taking a nap in his little room above the bakery and died peacefully.
I’ll think of him, fixing that greasy engine on a hot Saturday in Honolulu. The gentle baker.
I Bought your lovely poi muffins quite a few years ago,i have since tried and tried to find out who is selling them in England,can you help me.THANKS
Hi, Carol —
You have a good memory. The Poi English Muffins were sold in England in 2001, and on a very limited basis. The cost of importing a perishable product (poi) to the U.K. from Hawaii was just too high, and there were the usual E.U. regulatory problems. We had to prove, for example, that taro had been sold in the E.U. previously — it is the 11th most cultivated crop in the world, and even the Romans ate taro.
In the end, taro supply problems in Hawaii meant the closure of The Poi Company. It shut its doors in May 2002.
I believe Hawaii Star Bakery, in Honolulu, still manufactures poi English muffins, but the costs of shipping them to England would be staggering. Not to mention the bureaucracy.
It would probably be less expensive (and, in view of the English weather over the past ten days or so, much more enjoyable) to fly to Hawaii to enjoy them.
Mahalo for remembering.
Craig
How can I order the poi mufffins from the hawaiian star bakery?
I love them,too. I used to live in Honolulu and bought them frequently. My solution now: take a vacation there and buy a few dozen packs to bring home. Freeze them and thaw out a pack every week of so. And don’t share!!!
I’ve had your Eng.Muffins in Honolulu and they are declicious, where can I buy them in Los Angeles? or what would I pay if I ordered 1 dozen to be sent ,to me in LA ,lowest shipping. I’ve just got to find a way to get some,they are so much superior than anything we have here , please advise , thanks, Ken
I believe Hawaii Star Bakery, in Honolulu, still manufactures poi English muffins, but the costs of shipping them to England would be staggering.
Do you ship to New York?
The Poi Company closed its doors in 2002. No shipments to New York — or anywhere — since then. Auwe.
Dear Sir,I would like to know more details of the proudct and send me its presentation if available with you. Also let me know price along with the shipment charges and mode of the payment.Need to know if we can be your sale agent in Pakistan, which is a growing market for the food industry these days. We are involve in making cakes, cup cakes and stuff like this having our office in Karachi.Awaiting for your reply Best regardsTahira I. SiddiqueCEOKake ParlourA 74, Block D North Nazimabad,Karachi, PakistanCell; +92 300 2677692
I cannot find any poi English muffins in Maui. Costco used to carry it but they don’t any more.