meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

GETTING CURIOUS | What’s The Cold, Hard Truth About Ice In Hawaiʻi? with Hiʻilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

Sony Music

Science, Self-improvement, Comedy, Education, Society & Culture

4.921.5K Ratings

🗓️ 7 December 2022

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the mid-1800s, Americans shipped ice to Hawaiʻi in the hopes that there would be a market for it. There wasn’t. So how did ice—in the form of cocktails, ice cream, shave ice, and beyond—become lodged in Hawaiʻi’s foodscape? This week, Professor Hiʻilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart joins Jonathan to discuss the social history of ice and refrigeration in Hawaiʻi—and what this history reveals about colonial relationships to the tropics. Hiʻilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart (Kanaka Maoli) is Assistant Professor of Native and Indigenous Studies at Yale University. An interdisciplinary scholar, she researches and teaches on issues of settler colonialism, environment, and Indigenous sovereignty. Her first book, Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment is published by Duke University Press. You can follow Professor Hobart on Twitter @hiokinai. The first edition of Cooling the Tropics will feature a rainbow iridescent cover, so be sure to pick up a copy before they’re sold out! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Our executive producer is Erica Getto. Our associate producer is Zahra Crim. Our editor is Andrew Carson. Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to getting curious. I'm Jonathan Van Ness and every week I sit down for a gorgeous conversation with a brilliant expert to learn all about something that makes me curious.

0:09.0

This episode y'all is so freaking amazing. It's so good. It's on the most interesting topic ever. On today's episode, I'm joined

0:17.0

by Heilay, Julia, Kavehippa, Aaha, O'Pulani, Hobart, where I ask her,

0:23.8

what's the cold, hard truth about ice in Hawaii?

0:29.4

Welcome to getting curious.

0:30.8

Have we got an exciting episode for you, honey?

0:33.9

Today we are taking a cold, hard look

0:36.9

at how ice became embedded within Hawaii's foodscape

0:40.6

and what this history reveals about colonial relationships to the tropics.

0:45.0

So let's welcome to the show, our guest, Heilay Julia Hobart, who is an assistant professor of Native and

0:51.2

indigenous studies at Yale University.

0:53.6

An interdisciplinary scholar, she researches and teaches on issues of

0:57.4

settler colonialism, environment and indigenous sovereignty.

1:00.7

And her new book, Cooling the Tropics, Ice, Indigineity, and Hawaiian refreshment, she explores the social history of ice and refrigeration in Hawaii from chill drinks and sweets to machinery.

1:13.0

Ah, how are you, Hee-Lay?

1:15.0

I am so well.

1:17.0

Thank you for having me today.

1:18.0

So congratulations on your new book, by the way.

1:21.0

Thank you.

1:22.0

Yes. So your book is premised on the idea that quote

1:26.2

while temperature is measurable quote cold is subjective. Can you explain

1:31.0

that distinction for us? Yeah, I can.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sony Music, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Sony Music and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.