OUR MISSION~
We are developing healthy products made from all natural ingredients while we work to preserve the beauty and cultural history of our island home. Our goal is to introduce Taro to the world through food products and export which encourage sustainable agriculture and environmentally sensitive, minimal impact development.
OUR MOTTO~
Let us bring light, love and care to every effort, situation and intention in life.
~We love where we live~
Hawai'i today struggles to balance modernization and development with its agricultural legacy. Taro has been a source of nutrition and a symbol of culture to the Hawaiians for centuries. The generations who have thrived here before us have honored and protected the healthy balance of this eco-system to the benefit of those who have followed. We inherit that responsibility on behalf of the future generations, residents and visitors of the Hawai'ian Islands.
OUR HISTORY~
In 1997, our founder and president, Robert Mitnick, began creating a healthy version of a tasty, local Hawaiian dish that consisted of taro, cream, milk, butter and sugar. Robert wanted to produce a food which was a wholesome alternative to the various soy products on the market while still using local, Hawai'i-grown produce as its staple ingredients. What followed was the development of the Maui Taro Burger and the birth of the Hawaii Taro Company.
Since those simple beginnings, Hawai'i Taro Company has evolved into a fully certified manufacturing facility. Today the Maui Taro Burger and related products are sold throughout the state of Hawai'i.
ABOUT TARO~
Taro took root in Hawai'i with the arrival of the Polynesian culture and along with fish and coconut, has been a nutritious staple diet in the Islands for over a thousand years. It has inspired both war and celebration among Hawai'ian monarchs. The heart shaped leaves, (lu'au) lend their name to the traditional Hawai'ian Lu'au feast.
The ancient Hawai'ians regarded the whole plant with reverence. If the 'aina, the growing land, is cared for properly, it will provide food for generations to come.
Taro can be grown as wetland in a series of ponds called lo'i or as dryland in upland areas where watering is supplied by rainfall or supplemental irrigation. All of the plant is edible and consists of lu'au leaves (also called callaloo and patra leaves), the stem, and the root (corm).
Maui Taro Burger ~ we use the entire plant – root, stalk and leaves. Our special processing delivers a delicious patty with great taste and texture. The purple color in our variety comes from the same substance that gives red wine its color and anti-oxidant properties. Our taro includes the following nutritional benefits:
• High in complex carbohydrates and fiber
• Excellent source of potassium, calcium, iron and Vitamin A
• Non-allergenic and low in fat
• A low glycemic index
