Māmaki Native Hawaiian Herbal Tea (MNHHT) is a Native Hawaiian owned and operated farm dedicated to perpetuate the practice of using lāʻau lapaʻau (Hawaiian herbs).  

 

The inspiration for this farm is Kahuna Lāʻau Lapaʻau Kaipo Kaneakua.  He is one of the few elders left from his generation who was selected and taught by his kupuna (grandparents) to gather and prepare old family remedies. As with the true Hawaiian spirit of passing on the knowledge, he would take us into the forest to identify and gather and prepare lāʻau (herbs).  But, the beauty of our forests also attracts the casual hiker. Unbeknownst to them, they often trample our precious lāʻau.  After many disappointing hikes to locate these lāʻau in their natural environment, he resorted to teaching us from books.

 

Over time we learned to grow lāʻau in our gardens.  In 2013 the opportunity came from growing lāʻau in our gardens to farming in the lush valley of Punaluʻu on the windward side of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.  The transition from garden to farm wasnʻt as easy as we thought.  We quickly learned and appreciated the wealth of knowledge, observation and skills a mahiʻai (farmer) has to posses in order to keep a farm running. With the love, support and hard work from family and friends who invested countless hours we continue to grow the farm. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts in creating this legacy.  

 

Our primary crop is māmaki, a Hawaiian endemic shrub. Māmaki is only found in Hawaiʻi which makes it uniquely Hawaiian.  Its leaves are used to make an herbal tea, also known as a tisane.  We grow our māmaki and other herbal plants much like our ancestors. Our plants are grown in the forest where they can thrive in a stress-free environment nourished by Punaluʻu's rich soil and unspoiled underground wells.  We choose to be certified 100% organic and are certified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  It didn’t make sense for us to introduce foreign chemicals into our ʻāina (land) for the sole purpose of profit.

 

Our vision at MNHHT is to help others rediscover health in a way that is natural and organic.  Nā kūpuna (ancestors) lived long lives because of their vast knowledge of plants.  They often consulted with kahuna lāʻau lapaʻau, medicinal practitioner, whose connection to ke akua (god), na ʻaumakua (family gods) and the environment enabled kahuna to serve nā kūpuna needs.  We would appreciate the opportunity to share this venerable knowledge with you and your ʻohana with our line of herbal teas.