Recipes wanted, like this one from Aunty Jo
August 2025 — If you grew up on Lānaʻi, chances are you carry memories of food that brought your family together—meals filled with warmth, laughter, and stories passed from one generation to the next. That spirit lives on in a treasured recipe from Jonona “Aunty Jo” Alconcel, whose childhood in the historic Kaumālapaʻu Harbor community shaped not only her love for food, but her deep connection to Lānaʻi’s land, people, and traditions.
Today, Aunty Jo shares that legacy through her work at the Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center, where she helps preserve the very stories, customs, and flavors that helped raise her.
How It All Began: Love and Life at Kaumālapaʻu Harbor. Aunty Jo’s journey to Lānaʻi began with her mother, Winona Aheong, who came to the island to visit her brother. During that visit, Winona met Harry Kaopuiki, a crane operator at Kaumālapaʻu Harbor. That meeting would change her life. The two fell in love, got married, and made their home in the small but strong harbor community on Lānaʻi’s southwestern coast.
Kaumālapaʻu Harbor had been developed after James Dole purchased the island in 1922, transforming it into a hub for pineapple production. The harbor was essential—it brought in supplies to support the growing plantation town and shipped out crops to markets beyond. At its peak, Kaumālapaʻu wasn’t just a port—it was a working community with homes, a restaurant, and a close-knit group of residents like the Kaopuiki family.
Hunter. Butcher. Cook. A Way of Life on Lānaʻi. In the Kaopuiki household, food was more than a meal—it was a process, a lesson, and an act of love. Harry would hunt deer and goats in the uplands. Winona, skilled in the kitchen, would prepare the meat with care. Together with their children, they were the hunter, the butcher, and the cook—fully involved in every stage of putting food on the table. For Aunty Jo, this lifestyle wasn’t just survival—it was a source of pride. It taught her to value the land, respect the animals they relied on, and cherish the time spent together as a family.
She first tasted her mother’s venison jerky around age six. By fifteen, she and her brother were making it themselves, experimenting with flavors—especially her brother, who liked to make his version spicier. That same recipe has since become a family treasure, passed down through four generations, including eight grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
The Recipe: Aunty Jo’s Venison Jerky. From the kitchen of Winona Morita Kaopuiki, this sun-dried, sweet-and-savory jerky is more than a snack—it's a symbol of tradition, love, and self-sufficiency. This recipe reflects a time when meals were made with intention, when families worked side by side, and when food connected them to the land and each other.
Ingredients
5 pounds venison
1 bulb garlic, crushed
½ cup shoyu (soy sauce)
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons Hawaiian salt
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and place the meat in a screened drying box. Dry in the sun for one full day. Fry or broil before serving to enhance the flavor and texture.
Share Your Story: Be Part of Lānaʻi’s Community Cookbook. Do you have a family recipe like Aunty Jo’s—one that tells a story of place, people, and tradition? The Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center is creating a Lānaʻi Community Cookbook to celebrate the flavors and stories that nourish our island.
What We’re Looking For:
- Family Recipes – Passed down through generations or inspired by your life on the island.
- Original Creations – Recipes using local ingredients or island-inspired flair.
- Stories – A short reflection on what the dish means to you and your ‘ohana.
How to Submit: Email your recipe and story to crystal@lanaichc.org or click here to submit online.
Join Aunty Jo and others in preserving the culinary traditions that continue to shape Lānaʻi—one dish, one memory, one generation at a time.
