Rub it in: Festival Never underestimate the power of a good gimmick, and garlic is a great one, inspiring to the tastebuds, amusing to the mind.
bathes in mystique
of garlic massage
Garlic is known for its
antibiotic qualities and a
good rub could prove beneficialBy Betty Shimabukuro
bshimabukuro@starbulletin.comTo that end, consider this: If a few cloves of garlic add zing to otherwise ordinary dishes, would not a few teaspoonsful of garlic essence, rubbed into a hand, a forearm, a neck or shoulder, prove equally uplifting?
Tomorrow is the day of the Garlic Festival of Hawaii, which marks the debut of the garlic massage, applied by Serenity Spa, located at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach, but taking a road trip in order to be part of the general audacity of the festival.
Gary Bell, president of the spa, advises that you think of the festival as an aromatherapy treatment. Garlic has certain healing properties, Bell says, and to breathe in the molecules that'll be flying through the air should be beneficial. "Everyone will be boosting their immune system."Continue in that vein with a garlic-oil massage. Set yourself down in a massage chair for 10 to 20 minutes of spot work. The therapists will use Kyolic, a garlic oil from which the stinkiness has been removed, in combination with kukui nut oil. The oils, when mixed, have the light scent of barbecue, but once applied won't leave you smelling like a stinking rose.
If that's still daunting, the spa will offer other choices of Hawaiian oils, such as guavaberry, puakenikeni and ginger. "But we'll be pushing the garlic," Bell says. Massages will cost about $7.50 for 10 minutes.
Mainly, the idea is to feel good, but Bell says a garlic massage could have health benefits as well. Garlic is known for antibiotic qualities and has been a home remedy in many cultures for all manner of ailments. During World War I, Bell says, it was used to fight infection in open wounds.
Applied topically during a massage it might at least chase away bacteria on the skin. That's not precisely the point anyway, Bell says. The idea in offering a garlic massage was to get in the spirit of the festival and what it seeks to do for its beneficiary, Friends of Hawaii Charities, the non-profit organization that hosts the Sony Open and supports 43 local charities.
The festival will offer garlic-infused foods from 10 Honolulu restaurants, as well as specialty items sold in a Garlic Lover's Store. Cooking demonstrations will go on through the day as well. Outside the garlic vein, there will be continuous entertainment (Kapena and Danny Kaleikini have signed on), a Keiki Town, produce sale, fortune-telling -- and to wash down all that garlic, a wine tent, margarita bar and Super Well Bar.
Yes, something stinky this way comes. Partake, eat well, breathe deep. "It makes sense to me," Bell says.
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow Garlic Festival of Hawaii
Place: Ward Warehouse
Admission: Free, but $2 donations encouraged. Scrip will be sold for food and other purchases.
Call: 545-4195
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