Dish towels brighten cleanups

Silk-screened dish towels with local themes are great as gifts and for cleaning up after get-togethers with family and friends. The “Local Out!” design ($9.99) by Grant Kagi­moto’s Cane Haul Road is a shout-out to Hawaii’s food culture. More colorful is the pineapple dish towel ($16.99) by Janet Hola­day’s Hibiscus Tropical Textiles in Kailua. Both can be found at The Islands’ Best at Ala Moana Center (949-5345), or visit canehaulroad.com and janetholaday.com.
— Gary Chun

 Exotic fruit pricey but tasty

The citrusy, sweet-sour langsart is a Southeast Asian fruit that can occasionally be found in Chinatown. Peel the brown outer skin to reveal the translucent fruit, divided into odd-numbered buds. A friend tells me they are now grown on Hawaii island. Langsart spoils quickly and is hard to find in markets, so they’re expensive. A bag of langsart costs about $20 — too pricey as an everyday fruit but a tasty and unusual tropical treat.
— Craig Gima

No-staple stapler eliminates the poke

It doesn’t look like much, but the Eco Staple Free Stapler clips a tiny flap and a slit in your stack of papers, then tucks the flap into the slit. Voilà! Up to four sheets of paper are held in place in an easy-to-remove configuration without sharp metal staples. The gadget is available in a variety of colors for $11 at The Paperie at Kahala Mall.
— Donica Kaneshiro

Yogurt livens up canine treats

My dog loves to gnaw on bones, and she also loves yogurt, so these Fido Belly Bones made of yogurt powder are a perfect treat for her. The corn-, wheat- and soy-free bones are made in the U.S. and provide probiotics good for healthy digestion. They come in mini, small and large sizes; a pack of four large bones for my dog cost about $9 at Marina Pet Supply, 1115 Young St., and in Hawaii Kai and Kailua.
— Nina Wu

Hot water pours at Rainbow Drive-In

Chili pepper water goes together with plate lunches like, well, like two scoops rice and mac salad. Now you can bring home the heat with a bottle of Papa’s Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water from Rainbow Drive-In. Based on a recipe by Rainbow founder Seiju “Papa” Ifuku, it’s sourced from a Hilo grower and sells for $5.95 for 12 ounces. Hubba Haba­nero is a hotter version; both are available at the landmark Kapa­hulu eatery, 3308 Kana­ina Ave. (737-0177, www.rainbowdrivein.com).
— Christie Wilson