About Our Local Community
We at Abby’s Ohana Tea believe in community, to diving in and experiencing the melting pot that is uniquely Hawai‘i, by enjoying everything that the people who call Hawai‘i home bring to the table that makes us one ohana.
We have lived on Hawai‘i Island for nearly 20 years and Abby was born and raised here. We participate in organizations within our community at a local and state level, whether that be church, Lions Clubs International, Hui Okinawa Kobudo Taiko or science fair to name a few. We believe that it is important to serve those who are less fortunate than ourselves and lend a helping hand to others throughout East Hawai‘i.
Food is something we all enjoy and sometimes a little too much. Potlucks in Hawai‘i are a way of life. We love to cook and to eat the dishes of friends, whether that be Japanese sushi plates, Hawaiian poke bowls, Filipino lumpia, Chinese noodle dishes or good old mac and cheese. Don’t forget the onolicious Irish favorites that Abby makes, including soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, or my yearly Dublin Coddle to toast the memory of St. Patrick.
East Hawai’i
Hawai‘i is the quintessential melting pot of cultures of the Pacific Rim with a dash of others from far afield who have made Hawai‘i their home over the past decades. Each of us has gathered from the four corners of the earth to put down roots with aloha and respect for the ‘Āina and the Hawaiian people whose roots run deep in this beautiful land.
The East or windward side of Hawai‘i Island is dominated by the volcanoes Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, and the rainforests that cover their slopes from sea level to high up on their slopes. These along with the virtually constant trade winds that gently blow across the vast Pacific Ocean bring the rain that gives East Hawai‘i its green mantle. This along with the constant temperatures and acidic fertile soils give rise to the conditions that allow tea to not only grow, but thrive in this land.
Our Hawaiian Tea Community
Check out these pictures to get a glimpse of what our community is like.
Where our tea grows is part of what makes it so special.