Aloha State of Mind: The Biggest Brands Born in Hawaii and What the Islands Are Actually Buying

Hawaii doesn't export brands the way other states do. It exports an idea — and the idea is so powerful, so globally recognized, so emotionally loaded that companies from the mainland have been appropriating it for decades without permission. Hawaiian Punch contains no Hawaiian fruit. Many Kona coffee blends contain as little as 10% beans from the region. And yet from these same islands came King's Hawaiian rolls, Kona Brewing, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, and the plate lunch — one of the most culturally significant food traditions in America. This is the Hawaii edition of Ritner Digital's State by State Brand Series.