Mmmm…As I park my car and walk down the path to the Kona Historical Society’s outdoor forno (Portuguese oven), the irresistible aroma of Portuguese sweet bread wafts over me. From the top of the hill, I observe the volunteers sharing laughter and their love of the bread-making process with joyful visitors.

Volunteers and staff share laughter as everyone rolls the bread dough

Portuguese immigrants from the Azores and Madeira first arrived in Hawai`i in the 1870s, making an important impact on the development of the Kona District on Hawai`i’s Big Island. They developed the dairy industry, a key phase of the ranching industry of Hawai`i, and introduced butter and milk to the Islands. Besides their traditional dairy skills, the Portuguese also brought their love of freshly baked bread – their staple starch.

Fornos, outdoor wood-burning stone ovens, were found in every Portuguese community throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Most fornos were communal and used by the entire community, while others belonged to individual families. Breads made by the Portuguese community were sold, bartered or shared among other ethnic groups in Hawai`i.

Every Thursday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., visitors are invited to the Kona Historical Society’s Living History Program in Captain Cook www.konahistorical.org to watch the intricate baking process and learn about this delicious detail of Kona’s history. This weekly cultural event is one of Hawai`i’s “hidden treasures,” and many locals are discovering it for the first time, too.

Baker Gina Wiseman removes the sweet bread from the forno

Maria Rusnak share her warm hospitality, Noni Kuhns by her side.