Wild Food Plants of Hawai'i

"Wild Food Plants of Hawaii" is a life changing book. This afternoon, for instance, I ran out and chopped some purslane from my yard to add to a frittata. This succulent plant is a “weed” that I used to try to eradicate. But after reading "Wild . . ." I’ve been seeking this omega-3, beta-carotene, superstar of nutrition and discovering new ways to use it.The book is packed with information. Your next hike can have a culinary bonus. Your everyday meals can have fresh added minerals and nutrients – for free. Sunny Savage will make you see kiawe (those trees with the huge thorns) with new appreciation; the pods are delicious and, she says, “a nutritious gem.” She tells how to pick the plants wisely. For kiawe, you need to avoid mold; using a UV flashlight takes care of that, she says. Instead of ignoring some of the thousands of pounds of wasted kiawe pods that drop each year in Hawaii, you can use them for kiawe flour or refreshing drinks.Although "Wild . . ." is not recipe book, Sunny Savage has included enough recipes to inspire me to try hers – and to experiment too. You’ll be having new flavors in your fresh salads, main courses, desserts – and perhaps even fermenting some sparkling drinks after you read Sunny’s book.And the photographs are spectacular! Also Sunny includes a list of helpful resources and a bibliography.If you live in Hawaii or visit, get this book. You’ll look at roadside “weeds” with new appreciation – and knowledge of how to turn them into healthy additions to your meals.

Sunny's vast knowledge of the plant kingdom is incredible.The book is well written and filled with a plethora of information that will keep you alive by properly identifying the plants. Google Play Store Application is also must have tool to accompany her book. Living out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the Island of Maui if we do not have shipments from the mainland within only 5 days we will have no food resources for Hawaiians and tourists. Wildcrafting is a blessing that will sustain life and health. I recommend both her book and application for all ages. Sunny Savage is a Master! BTW, she is a phenomenal Cook! (pic is Passion Fruit aka as Lilikoi)

I was excited to get this book as I have had difficulty finding books on wild edibles for Hawaii. It does have a few good recipes, and a few beautiful pictures. The energy and intent of the writer is nice.I found it less then informative. I found NO information where the plants grow specific to each island. It has very few pictures of plants and most plants are merely mentioned with no detail.I had higher expectations for this book.It's nice if you are looking for very general information.I wished I had read all the reviews before I purchased.

Its an ok book but if I had seen it in the bookstore and could have flipped through the pages I wouldn't have bought it. I was hoping to find a wild plant forage book specific to Hawaii, but this book just has the same very common edible roadside weeds that are found everywhere, nettles, dandelions, New Zealand Spinach and the like. So it might be an ok book if you have never foraged anywhere before but i just moved to Hawaii from California and I already knew most of the plants in the book from California. There is a very small section at the back of the book with a very few plants specific to Hawaii but not much there, not even basic stuff like how to recognize a papaya, mango or avacado tree.

We vacation in Hawaii and found this book to be a wonderful guide to understanding the wild foods of the region. Lovely photos of the plants and loving descriptions of their uses belays a joy and respect towards the plants and fruits.Our goals on our vacations to tropical locales includes visiting wild areas and local markets to experience the foods of true locals, this book is a great guide to using the plants and fruits we can find in the wild and at markets to enhance our trips.Highly recommended!

I was so excited to discover this beautiful book on wild foods of Hawai'i. It is a great resource for both the person who is newly interested in learning about wild foods and also the more experienced forager. The book is chocked full of information on location, ethical harvesting, nutritional benefits and many other interesting and useful tidbits. Sunny Savage's enthusiasm pours out of the photographs in a rainbow of color, beauty and spirit of adventure. What an inspiration! I love it!

This is a wonderful book. I am moving to Hawaii and this is such a good addition to the lifestyle that i intend to have.I have worked at aBotanical Gardens in California as an educator and have an idea what good research isThis book is sincerely thorough and is a joy to read.

It was shipped and arrived on time. I was disappointed in book. Too wordy and pictures were not clear