Atebara Chips
Atebara Chips, founded in 1936 by Raymond Atebara, was the first company in Hawai‘i to make potato chips, and it continues in business today. After WWII rationing cut the supply of imported potatoes, the company turned to locally grown foods, expanding its line to include sweet potato and taro chips. The Atebaras were also the first to debut taro chips to the local market.
Sweet potatoes and taro for Atebara Chips are purchased from 15 different Hawai‘i Island family farms and also grown on the company’s leased 20-acre property located north of Hilo. Assisting with the farm operation is Dr. Yusef Tamimi, a retired UH-Hilo agriculture professor.
Atebara Chips, which today has expanded to Hawai‘i Island Gourmet Products, annually produces about 25,000 pounds of sweet potato chips and 60,000 pounds of taro chips. After being uniformly cut by machine, potatoes and taro are deep-fried in kettle cookers and placed in a spinner to remove excess oil. Chips are hand-packaged in bags sporting the Hawai‘i Island Atebara design.
In addition to sourcing locally-grown Okinawan-type sweet potatoes and taro for chips, Hawai‘i Island Gourmet uses the root crops in other snacks like its Sweet Potato Chip Cookie and Purple Sweet Potato White Chocolate Crunch. Chips are made fresh daily in the company’s 2,000-square-foot commercial kitchen while cookie and candy production takes place in a 1,000-square-foot kitchen. The original Hilo chip factory was destroyed in the 1946 tsunami and relocated to 717 Manono St., where it stands today.
In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Hawai’i Island Gourmet Products has a zero-waste policy. Plant-based waste is recycled to a local piggery and new taro is grown from previously-cut stalks. About 400 gallons of used cooking oil is recycled annually into biofuel for local use in vehicles. The company relies on locally-grown ginger, mac nuts, coconut, passion fruit, and coffee to makes its wide range of products. When in season during the fall and winter, it also makes ‘Ulu (breadfruit) Chips.
Hilo native Nimr Tamimi is at the helm of the family-run company, which employs seven, three of whom work full-time in production. There is also a handful of farm personnel.
“Using the local taro and sweet potatoes not only makes a more healthy chip, but also supports our local farmers,” says Tamimi.
Where to Find: Hawai‘I Island Atebara Chips are sold locally at KTA Super Stores, Longs Drug, Island Naturals, Parker Ranch Store and other local retail food and gift outlets. Samples are on the house at Hawai‘i Island Gourmet Gift Shop on Manono St. Order them online for shipping worldwide. 808.969.9600.
Photos courtesy of Hawai‘i Island Gourmet Products
Fern Gavelek
A native Hoosier, Fern moved to Hawai‘i in 1988. Ever since, she’s been writing about what makes Hawai‘i so special. She has extensively covered the state’s tourism, culinary, and agriculture industries and was named Hawaii County’s Small Business Administration Journalist of the Year. Also a public relations professional, Fern promotes a half-dozen Big Island events, several trade associations, and local businesses. The Holualoa resident is an avid community volunteer and was by tapped the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce 2009 Member of the Year. She enjoys gardening, time with husband John and playing with their pup, Sweet Pea.
