Dad’s `ohi`a `ai is covered in little tiny fruits, bringing to mind the many past harvesting seasons – sometimes two, three, or even (one time) four in a year from that prolific tree. He ono kela! So sweet, crispy, juicy – I munch away as I harvest, the wai running down my chin, across my hand and off my elbow!

The fruit does not last long on the shelf, or ship well, so it remains a special seasonal treat available, for those who do not have their own tree, from the yards of friends and family, and in the farmers’ markets.

`Ohi`a `ai is an early Polynesian-introduction to Hawai`i. Thought to have originated in Malaysia, it is now found throughout much of south-east Asia and Polynesia. Botanically, it is identified as Syzygium malaccense. It has many local names, due to its early and widespread distribution. Among the more common names are mountain apple, Malay apple, water apple, wax apple, jambu, darsana, and in Tahiti it is the ahia – very similar word to our own `ohi`a `ai.

This beautiful tree is an excellent shade and landscape tree. It can be allowed to grow huge, reaching a dramatic 60 feet in height and 15 foot circumference. But this gracious tree also does well when kept pruned low enough to harvest easily. It will grow in soils ranging from sandy to heavy clay, and can tolerate some acid, though it does not like a very alkaline soil.

It was an important medicinal plant of ancient times, various parts being prepared to treat a number of different ailments both as the medicine and as an ingredient in compounded medicines. The inner bark provided a rich brownish-red dye for kapa.

`Ohi`a `ai keeps its beautifully glossy green foliage throughout the year, each spring and summer adding brilliant pink pom-pom blossoms in a spectacular display. The fruit ranges from a beautiful crimson to waxy white with pinkish streaks. Usually there are one or two seeds, but some trees bear seedless fruits. Some of the trees are quite generous. My father’s bears two to three times each summer.

Usually, here in Hawai`i, we simply eat `ohi`a `ai as a hand-fruit, but if too many are eaten at one time, `aue! The `ōpū going come sore! From ancient times we also have dried it, and today some people add a bit of li-hing powder to the dried `ohi`a `ai. In other places, there are many ways that the `ohi`a `ai is prepared.

Dried `Ohi`a `ai

On a dry day, wash the fruits and drain them. Split open and remove the seeds. Thread the split fruits on ni`au (coconut frondlet midribs) and hang in your food drier in a breezy place. They are properly dried when shrunken and leathery. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. If desired, add li-hing powder to taste.

If you are fortunate enough to have a food drier, simply follow the directions which come with it for drying pears, or other juicy fruits.

`Ohi`a `ai Salsa

• 4 mountain apples, chopped
• 1/4 cup spring onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 2 Hawaiian peppers, chopped (add more or less depending on how hot you want it)
• Juice of one lemon
• salt and papper to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh pepper seeds (if available)
• pinch of ground fennel
  

Mix all the ingredients together and chill for a couple of hours before serving.

Stewed `Ohi`a `ai

Good crisp `ohi`a `ai hold their texture well when stewed and preserved. One popular method is to simmer the sliced and pitted fruits in just a bit of water or wine and add cloves and cinnamon to taste. This can be served with heavy cream, or even whipped cream, as a dessert. I don’t personally feel they need sugar or honey, but depending on your tree, you might want to add a bit to taste.

In Guyana, the fruit and skin are cooked separately. The white fleshed fruits are prepared, and while they are simmering, the red skins are made into a syrup.  A simple syrup can be made by measuring out the skins in a cup and adding an equal amount of sugar. Cook slowly until the juice leaves the skins. For clear syrup, be careful not to damage the skins. Simply drain them through a fine sieve.

In Malaysia, people sometimes add the petals of a red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.) to make the syrup more colorful.

`Ohi`a `ai Compote

Berries, currents, plums, prunes, raisins, cranberries (fresh or dried) and other similar fruits are quite nice added to the `ohi`a `ai as it is stewed. Serve with or without the liquid and top with cream, whipped cream, ice cream, or eat it deliciously plain!

`Ohi`a `ai also makes excellent preserves, jams, jellies, and pickles.

Pickled `Ohi`a `ai 

• 2 pounds mountain apple slices
• ¼ cup kosher salt 
• 4 cups palm vinegar 
• 1 cup water 
• 5 cups white sugar 
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice 
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves 
• 6 small pieces cinnamon stick

In a large pot, mix together everything except the mountain apple slices. Bring to a boil. While still boiling, add the mountain apples. Reduce heat and simmer until the syrup thickens. Pack the fruit and syrup in pint-standard canning jars. Adjust the jar lids and bands. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Poached `Ohi`a `ai in Honey and Orange Blossom Water

• 2 tbsp white superfine (not powdered) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 tsp orange rind
• A strip of orange zest
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1tbsp light honey
• 2 firm wax apples
• few drops of orange blossom water.
  

Dissolve the sugar and honey in the water. If you do not have superfine (caster) sugar on hand, you can make some by running granulated white sugar in your blender until it is powdery. Do not use powdered sugar, as it may contain starch to prevent clumping.

Add the zest and bring to a boil before reducing to simmer to form a syrup thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Add the orange juice and orange blossom water to the syrup and then poach the wax apples gently in the syrup until tender. Remove from heat and chill before serving. This is lovely garnished with thin curls of lemon rind and powdered almonds. You can make the powdered almonds by tossing a handful of nuts into a bit of the white sugar in your blender and running it until they are the desired texture.

Wine

In Puerto Rico, both red and white table wines are made from the `ohi`a `ai. The fruits are picked as soon as they are fully colored. They should not be windfall. As soon as they are harvested, they are dipped in boiling water for one minute to destroy surface bacteria and fungi. After seeding, the fruits are run through a meat grinder – skin on for red wine, skin off for white. Add twice as much freshly boiled water as you have pulp and juice. (Have a gallon of pulp? Add two gallons water). For each gallon of water, add 1-1/2 pounds of white sugar. Continue as you would with your favorite home wine-making process. Age 6 months to 1 year and filter. For a deeper, richer red, add red hibiscus petals while pulping the fruit.

For white wine, the fruits are first peeled. Do not add water to the pulp and juice. Use 1-1/4 pound sugar per gallon of pulp.

In Indonesia, I’m told, the flowers are eaten in salads or are preserved in syrup. Young leaves and shoots, before turning green, are consumed raw with rice or are cooked and eaten as greens.

However you decide to eat them, do enjoy the fruits of the beautiful `ohi`a `ai!