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Examples
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He spared no pains in his efforts to furnish my table with all which the most fastidious taste could desire; there were fish from the sea in great variety and of delicious freshness, many of the other delicacies, such as "opihi" for example, being especially Hawaiian in use or origin.
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We got fresh opihi and Spam musubi and lots of good grinds in the house.
Beard 2010
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Anonymous said ... hey, we call 'em opihi in Hawaii.
The Humble Limpet (Petalida): A Treasure of the Sea (Η Tαπεινή Πεταλίδα) Laurie Constantino 2008
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They also took all sea-mosses, crabs, crawfish, and the various kinds of shellfish along the seashore, even to the opihi-koele at the rocky beach; every edible thing in the sea was taken away.
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There is an old saying, _He akua ai opihi o Pele_ -- "Pele is a goddess who eats the opihi."
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula Nathaniel Bright Emerson 1877
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Another meaning given to the word _koele -- opihi koele_, -- line
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula Nathaniel Bright Emerson 1877
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_Koéle_ was a term applied to the opihi that lives well under water, and therefore are delicate eating.
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula Nathaniel Bright Emerson 1877
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In proof of this statement they point to the huge piles of opihi shells that may be found along the coast of Puna, the middens, no doubt, of the old-time people.
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii The Sacred Songs of the Hula Nathaniel Bright Emerson 1877
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But Sunn didn't just surf: She free-dived, spearfished, picked limu and 'opihi (seaweed and limpets) - a true child of the ocean, as her Hawaiian middle name ("the heart of the sea") implies.
SFGate: Top News Stories Jeanne Cooper 2011
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It's decorated with ink from the creature just as his left arm is adorned with swirling, arcing lines that form a picture of tako, the hideous, bulbous creature he'd killed when it attacked him and his brother while they were gathering opihi for their family.
vendingmachine commented on the word opihi
The opihi, or Cellana exarata, is an edible shellfish of the limpet species of molluscs. There are 3 types in Hawaii. The opihi alinalina or yellowfoot is one. The opihi makaiauli or blackfoot is the second. And the opihi ko`ele or giant opihi is the third. Most say they prefer the taste of the opihi alinalina or yellowfoot.
According to local researchers, the opihis are probably the most expensive seafood in Hawaii. In terms of cost of the delicacy (including the shell), one can value it in the range of $150 a gallon. A long time ago, pickers were selling over 140,000 pounds annually. Today, there are only 13,000 pounds harvested annually. This due to diminished stock and over harvesting. Despite this, demand for opihis remains very high.
November 17, 2019