Ulu Black Modern Silk

Ulu is Hawaiian for breadfruit, a popular staple in Hawaiian diet and culture.  Native Hawaiians needed ulu to survive.  The trunk was used to make drums, surfboards, poi boards, canoe parts, and lumber for house and furniture construction.  The inner bark was used as a tapa cloth.  Leaf sheaths, finely abrasive, polished utensils, bowls, and kukui nuts used in lei-making.  The young buds were used as medicine for the mouth and throat.  The sticky sap became glue, caulking, or chewing gum.  And the edible fruit nourished many Hawaiians.  Ulu may be steamed, baked, boiled, marinated, mashed, or stir-fried.  The dark green leaves and round balls of fruit stand out in places around the islands.