Much like a lot of words in ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i, Mōhala has quite a few meanings.

It is most commonly used to mean to bloom, blossom, grow, or unfold. The most direct meaning is the blooming of flower petals.

However, it can also be used metaphorically, to describe freeing oneself from a state of being compressed or ill, a journey of personal growth, expanding thoughts or emotions, or (my personal favorite) the development of an idea into a fully realised vision.

I chose the word Mōhala because it fully communicates my ever-evolving vision, as well as my unique relationship with the flora here in Hawai’i.

Mohala’s mission is to decrease the amount of invasive species that have taken over the unique and fragile ecosystem here in Hawai’i.

Buying Mohala products supports a small local company who lovingly hand picks invasive ingredients contributing to the elimination of invasive plants on Oahu. This gives back to the conservation of the island and its delicate ecosystem.

The sky's the limit when using these syrups! Originally I crafted them to use in the creation of unique, luxury, signature cocktails. They are wonderful for special occasions and theme parties. They add a lovely flavor to iced tea or poured over sparkling water for a bright, effervescent mocktail.

Since the beginning we’ve gotten more creative, they’ve been used in everything from delicate desserts, drizzled over yogurt, pancakes, added to fruit compotes and ice cream.

Be sure to let me know what you try, because hearing your creative, inspired ideas are one of my favorite parts of the job! 

Definitely Liliko’i, followed by Strawberry Guava, Wood Sorrel Tonic, and Mango + Hawaiian Chili Pepper. However, Java Plum is my personal favorite for its sweet, tart flavor and gorgeous color!

My products are currently only available right here on mohalaexpressions.com, but I look forward to expanding soon!

Mōhala products are sustainable, responsibly sourced, hand crafted, and made from hand picked ingredients. Not only do we create inspired, delicious products with a wide range of uses, but we are making the Hawaiian islands a better place in the process! 

I lovingly pick, mash, preserve, peel, deseed and cook for each and every bottle that I sell. Buying Mōhala products is like stepping into my kitchen, I sell a handmade product with nothing but the best, whole food ingredients ripened with Hawaiian sunshine.

Mōhala is a small batch, artisanal company made with foraged ingredients. This means that each and every fruit, seed and stem is hand picked at the height of its freshness. During this time the nutritional benefits and vitamins are at their peak. When the fruiting season is over and the product sells out we often have to wait several months or a year until the plant is ready for harvesting. 

Make sure to stock up while you can!

I certainly didn’t start out knowing anything or having a magic recipe. It’s all been a slow and steady process of identifying plants and researching edible uses, sometimes minutes and even hours standing in one spot on a trail, getting absolutely wrecked by mosquitos, just to finally be able to identify that that certain pretty plant I saw is, in fact, not edible. Sometimes I think I identify something and I post about it, just to have someone more knowledgable correct me! It’s taken me a lifetime to get to a point where I feel confident identifying most plants I see on the island. However, I’ll always be learning new information and that’s kind of what I love about it. It’s never too late to start learning, even if it’s just a few plants you can eat and incorporate into your diet!

That being said, the ways in which I find out what is and isn’t edible vary. I have plenty of books at home which I hardly ever open let alone take on the trail with me, and I also have a few plant identification applications on my phone, which I wouldn’t recommend using unless you have a basic understanding of plant identification, because they can be unreliable and only point you in the right direction rather than identifying the exact plant you’re looking at.

Most of the time, I just use Google or Google Lens. I simply string together a bunch of descriptors for the plant at which I’m looking and press search! Or simply upload the photo to Google Lens. This is the most reliable source I have found.

The short answer is anywhere! I think a lot of people imagine me foraging deep in a jungle somewhere unknown to most people on O’ahu, finding all kinds of strange nuts, juicy fruits, and exotic flowers. However, most of my foraging is done on well known Hawaii hiking trails or even in Honolulu close to my home. Rather than thinking that I’ve ventured further and deeper than other humans, I think it's more a question of the kind of personality traits I’ve developed in order to be more mindful of my surroundings and the curiosity of wondering what plants may be nutritionally or medicinally useful. 

Literally anyone can start foraging and incorporating free and nutritionally dense foods into their diet! Most of these plants can be found anywhere: along well known trails such as Diamondhead Crater and Mānoa Falls, coastal areas near your favorite beach, in the cracks in the sidewalk outside your home, and even in grocery store parking lots.

Mānoa Valley and Tantalus Mountain contain some of my favorite trails on which to forage near the city, as I’ve found the greatest diversity of edible plants in those locations. Several beaches near Kahala have proven interesting, and I’ve found quite literally 22 different edible plants just in the area surrounding the parking lot for my three story walk-up apartment in the middle of Mo’ili’ili!

I don’t really have a “favorite;” however, there are certain ingredients I’ve found that were more exciting than others for various reasons. Blue marble fruit was one of these simply because of the color. Finding coffee for the first time was exciting, mostly because learning how to process it from the raw fruit into the dark chocolate colored liquid we all know and love was incredibly more laborious than I had ever imagined. It made me appreciate what the indigenous people who first discovered how to do this had to go through to give us something we now can conveniently order for just a couple of dollars. 

Crotolaria pallida was exciting because it took me over two months to finally identify what it was. Pink velvet bananas were exciting because it was my first time seeing a wild banana and they were perfectly cute, pink, and floral looking. 

Sea purslane was exciting because I had to swim all the way to an island off shore from Kailua to track it down for the first time. Blue Vervain was exciting because of the flavor (it tastes exactly like mushrooms!), and snow mushrooms were exciting because it was my first mushroom and one of only two edible species of mushroom on O’ahu. Last but not least, strawberry guava because it was the first plant I ever learned to identify here in Hawai’i. However, Java Plums is my current favourite because of the color and medicinal benefits that I love to enjoy.

I’ve been doing it since before I can remember! My mother has a picture of me foraging wild berries when I was just three years old. My mother taught me all about wild plants and their uses, just as her mother taught her. In all honesty, I didn’t realise this was a specialised or unique skill set until an embarrassingly late age (it was around 2019 when I started posting about it on social media and got a lot of positive feedback). However, I did lose sight of this skill until I moved to Hawaii in 2016, at which point my curiosity and wonder got reignited by all the unique and vibrant plant life we have here on the islands!

Mōhala syrups are made here on the island and are some of the best Hawaii souvenirs. They are unique, tasty, and make great gifts for all the people in your life whether they’re for wedding gifts, cocktail connoisseurs, or anyone looking for a unique flavor. These syrups are great for non-drinkers too, and they can be re-ordered online when you run out.

Yes, wrapped in paper or plastic wrap in the center of your suitcase is the best way to carry these home to your destination. 

Mōhala products are perfect for everyone on your list, not only do they make great gifts for the discerning drinker who loves a unique cocktail, but they are also delicious added to iced tea and sparkling water. They are great gifts for foragers, co-workers, welcome baskets, birthdays, weddings, and hostess gifts.  

Pair Mohala syrups with an accompanying drink, recipe card and pretty drinking glasses in a big basket for the best wedding gift! 

All of the products in Mōhala Expressions lineup are made from hand-picked ingredients found on trails right here on O’ahu. I process the ingredients and hand bottle the resulting syrup in a commercial kitchen in Honolulu.