The Pineapple Expressed
Maui Gold + Hali’imaile General Store equals one delicious partnership
Story by Mona de Crinis
Photographs by Ryan Siphers
Recipes by Hali’imaile General Store
Hai’ilamali General Store and Maui Gold Pineapple General Manager Rudy Balala, Chef Raheyden of Haili‘imaile General Store, HGS Lead Mixologist Wendy Romlein and MGP President Darren Strand
Rudy Balala lights up when he talks about Maui Gold Pineapple. It’s what he knows. Working the fields since before he could drive, today Balala manages the Upcountry farm that built a town around a piece of fruit.
But it’s not just any fruit. And it’s not just any town.
Nestled in Maui’s farming heartland, Hali‘imaile is home to Maui Gold Pineapple and culinary gem, Hali‘imaile General Store. Together, this pineapple ‘ohana is redefining the iconic tropical fruit.
Maybe it’s the rich volcanic soil gifted from Haleakal, or the dappled kiss of sunshine softened by the trades. Whatever the magic of this place, you won’t find a better-tasting pineapple anywhere on the planet.
Meticulously developed, Maui Gold Pineapple’s hybrid varieties bathe the tastebuds in sugary goodness without the sharp acidity and resultant pucker of standard products. Handpicked and harvested at the peak of flavor, these pineapples are quintessential Maui.
Bev Gannon, the groundbreaking chef that championed “farm to table” cuisine long before it was de regueur, understood the power of the pineapple in cuisine. And she wisely capitalized on that power in 1987 when she turned an old plantation store into an award-winning restaurant known for its pineapple-enhanced dishes and cocktails.
Although Gannon has since retired and no longer owns the restaurant (Gather Restaurant Group purchased it in 2022), her imprint is present in every bite of Hali‘imaile General Store’s signature pineapple upside-down cake. Baked in individual ramekins and topped with carmelized, just-plucked Maui Gold Pineapple, the heralded dessert tantalizes in a symphony of complementary flavors enhanced by the sassy, spiked fruit.
Literally surrounded by pineapples, Hali‘imaile General Store has a direct line to the freshest available. More family than neighbors, the restaurant and farm enjoy a symbiotic relationship formed over time and sustained by mutual appreciation. The bond has grown so close that it’s not unusual for chefs and bartenders to walk into the factory and grab a freshly harvested pineapple.
“Nobody even thinks twice,” said Maui Gold Pineapple Director of Agriculture Darren Strand with a laugh. “They might as well be on our payroll.”
The love goes both ways. When customers rave about the pineapple fruit salsa garnishing Hali‘imaile General Store’s popular macademia nut-crusted mahi-mahi, restaurant staff give much of the glory to Maui Gold Pineapple.
“Their pineapples add just the right amount of tangy sweetness to balance an entree’s savory flavor,” said Chef Rheyden Lagazo, who oversees Hali‘imaile General Store’s bustling kitchen. Smitten with Maui Gold’s singular quality, he envisions expanding the menu to further spotlight Maui Gold Pineapple as the standout fruit it is.
When it comes to thinking outside the fruit stand, Hali‘imaile General Store gets the gold star. According to Strand, no other restaurant comes close to using his pineapples as creatively. From the spicy sweet fruit salsa and bold chutneys enlivening locally raised meats and fresh-caught fish to sweet treats and craft cocktails divined by longtime Lead Mixologist Wendy Romlein, Maui Gold Pineapple is the secret sauce drawing foodies time and again to Hali‘imaile General Store.
You don’t have to travel across the Pacific to enjoy Hali‘imaile General Store’s pineapple-infused favorites. The featured recipes bring the flavor of Maui to your doorstep — but only if you bring home the Gold.
Such sweet solidarity! Maui Gold Pineapple General Manager Rudy Balala (left) and Director of Agriculture Darren Strand flank Hali‘imaile General Store’s Wendy Romlein and Chef Rheyden Lagazo, who go for the Gold in their pineapple-inspired creations. Visit mauigold.com to mail-order pineapples. Visit hgsmaui.com for restaurant reservations.
Straight from the imaginative mind of Hali‘imaile General Store Lead Mixologist Wendy Romlein, who’s been delighting guests from behind the bar for 23 years, this refreshing Maui Gold Pineapple-inspired libation — specially crafted for Maui N Ka ‘Oi readers — is like a dip in the ocean on a hot summer day. Enjoy with or without alcohol.
Hali’imaile ‘Ohana Craft Cocktail
2 oz Pau Vodka from Hali’imaile Distillery (or similar)
2 oz fresh Maui Gold pineapple juice (there’s nothing similar) or best alternative
1 oz cane sugar syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 handful fresh mint
1/2 cup fresh Maui Gold Pineapple (or best alternative), cubed
1 oz cream of coconut
In a shaker, combine vodka, pineapple juice, cane sugar syrup, cubed pineapple, cream of coconut, mint and ice. Muddle. Pour. Garnish with fresh pineapple, mint and toasted coconut. Serve with a handblown straw from Makai Glass Maui or straw of your choosing.
Serves 1
Hali’imaile Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
1 large fresh Maui Gold pineapple (or best alternative)
2/3 cup butter
1 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp butter
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Salt
Prepare four 8-ounce ramekins. Trim top and bottom of pineapple and remove skin. Slice into 4 thick rings, removing the core. Trim pineapple rings to fit ramekins. Set aside.
To make the caramel, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together. Add flour mixture to butter-sugar-egg mixture and mix on low. Slowly add milk and vanilla.
Mix for another 30 seconds. Spread caramel evenly over bottom of ramekins. Place pineapple rings on top of caramel base. Pour cake batter over the pineapple ring, leaving a 1/4-inch space at ramekin top.
Transfer ramekins on a baking sheetand bake at 300° for 35 minutes. Rotate ramekins and bake another 10 minutes until center is cooked. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Carefully invert ramekins to release cake on serving plate.
Serves 4
Served on a rich, tangy Mango Buerre Blanc sauce with a sassy dash of Hali’imaile General Store’s famous Fruit Salsa made with Maui Gold Pineapple, this Maui-inspired “catch of the day” brings the islands home.
Macadamia Nut-Crusted Mahi-mahi
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sriracha or Thai chili sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup diced macadamia nut
4 (6-oz) fillets fresh mahi-mahi or other fresh white fish
Salt and ground black pepper
Canola or olive oil for sautéing
Process nuts, panko and basil in a food processor until finely ground. Spread mixture on a plate. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sriracha or Thai chile sauce; mix well. Lightly season fish with salt and pepper. Lightly coat one side of each fillet with chili mayonnaise.
In an ovenproof sauté pan or skillet, pour just enough oil to coat the bottom and heat over medium heat. (Be careful not to heat the pan too hot or the macadamia nuts will burn.)
Add fish, crust side down, and sauté for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the fish and cook in an oven at 400° for 5 minutes, or until cooked through and firm to the touch.
Serve topped with Mango Lilikoi Beurre Blanc and Fruit Salsa with Sweet Potatoes on the side (see below.)
Sweet Potatoes
2 lbs Moloka’i or purple sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp butter
Salt and white pepper
Place potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease heat to low and cook until tender, or about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes in a colander.
Fruit Salsa
3 cups diced Maui Gold pineapple
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1 fresh lime juice
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp fresh chopped mint
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
Salt and ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place the milk, cream and butter in a bowl. Using a potato ricer, rice potatoes into the bowl. With a rubber spatula, mix potatoes thoroughly with butter and cream. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
Mango Lilikoi Beurre Blanc
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp shallots
1 cup, plus 2 Tbsp butter
1 cup white wine
1 cup mango chunks
21 oz lilikoi fruit base
3 oz fresh chopped ginger
Salt and ground white pepper
Melt 2 tsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, cook 2 minutes. Add white wine; bring to a boil, then decrease heat and continue to cook until liquid is reduced to 1 Tbsp.
Add cream and cook until reduced by half. Add mango chunks, passion fruit base and ginger. Strain mango mix into another saucepan with a fine mesh strainer. Place saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining butter a few pieces at a time until sauce becomes silky and slightly thick, whisking constantly. Season with salt and white pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Serves 4
