About Hapa Hawaiian Salts
For the Love of Savoring Every Day
Hapa Hawaiian Salts began with a simple idea: that the right ingredients, prepared with care, can transform everyday cooking into something more meaningful.
“Hapa,” meaning “half,” reflects founder Lisa Strand’s children, who are half Hawaiian, and the blending of cultures, flavors, and traditions that shape both her family and the brand.
Each blend is crafted using mineral-rich sea salt and real, whole ingredients like garlic, Telicherry Pepper and ginger, then slowly roasted to develop depth and balance. The result is a versatile, everyday seasoning designed for how people actually cook, easy to use, deeply flavorful, and made to be shared.
Blending ‘Āina & Kai
Hapa Hawaiian Salts is shaped by the balance of ‘āina (land) and kai (sea).
Mineral-rich sea salt forms the foundation of every blend, paired with thoughtfully selected ingredients like garlic, ginger, and other whole flavors that reflect the abundance of the land.
Together, they create depth and balance, a flavor that feels both grounded and alive.
It is a way of honoring where food comes from, and the role it plays in bringing people together.
Our Founder Story
For University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa alumna Lisa Strand, the foundation of Hapa Hawaiian Salts began long before the first batch was made.
As a former UH Rainbow Wahine volleyball player, Lisa was part of the teams that secured back-to-back national championships in the early 1980s, an experience that shaped her understanding of discipline, community, and what it means to show up with consistency and heart.
That same spirit carried into her life beyond the court. Years later, as a mother and active member of her community, Lisa began experimenting in her kitchen with a simple goal: to create a seasoning made from real ingredients that could bring people together around the table.
What began as a small effort to support her children’s school grew organically. She refined her blends using Hawaiian sea salt and fresh, locally inspired ingredients, creating something that felt both familiar and distinctly her own.
When the world shifted during the pandemic, Lisa chose to step fully into the business, transforming what started as a local fundraiser into a growing brand now carried in stores across Hawai‘i and beyond.
The Naupaka
The Hapa Hawaiian Salts logo features the naupaka flower, a symbol deeply rooted in Hawaiian legend and meaning.
According to tradition, the naupaka flower appears in two forms, one growing in the mountains and one by the sea, each with only half a blossom. The story speaks to love, separation, and the idea that even when something feels incomplete, it continues to grow and endure.
For Lisa, the naupaka represents resilience. A reminder to grow where you are planted, to adapt, and to find strength in every season. It reflects the spirit behind Hapa itself, grounded, enduring, and shaped by both land and sea.