There are certain rules for writing about childhood Hawai'i memories:

When you mention Kalihi, you have to use the word "scrappy" or some synonym. When you write about man-of-war stings, you have to mention the funny folk remedy. And when you write about younger days spent eating crack seed, you have to mention sucking the bag.

People wrote and called to let me know I left out a crucial detail in a recent piece about crack seed:

"You forgot the most important part: chewing and sucking on the paper bag that crack seed used to come in. After 50+ years I still remember," wrote Bobby Camara from Volcano.

"The best part after eating the ono crack seed was to turn the bag inside out and chew the bag to get all the good flavors out," wrote J Bornios from Wahiawa.

While old-time crack seed — Chinese preserved plums with the pit smashed into small pieces — was sold in paper bags, younger generations remember only as far back as Yick Lung and Jade pre-packaged cellophane rack-hangers. You could suck those bags, but apparently those weren't nearly as suckworthy as paper. The flavors got all embedded in the little paper-bag fibers.

"We got our crack seed from Ching Tong Sing store in Kapaka (between Punalu'u and Hau'ula) in the 1950s and 1960s," wrote Keoki Maguire. "Juicy crack seed would of course begin to soak the bag which somehow would keep only long enough till you got the last piece, then of course you had to rip it apart, and suck the bag."

Maguire describes lidded jars of crack seed and other preserved fruits that were kept at the store. The orders were scooped out of the large containers.

"Because the Ching store also sold fishhooks which were stored above the containers, sometimes we'd get a fishhook in the crack seed," he said. But back then, they saw such a thing as luck rather than a liability. "Wow, number 22 oio hook for free."

The most authoritative (and fun!) letter came from a retired reader (name withheld or else people will start bugging him to write a newspaper column) who said only amateurs get their fingers sticky when they eat crack seed.

"Us professional eaters' fingers are clean," he declared. "We squeeze small wad of treasure up through small hole near top of cellophane bag directly into mouth. Suck seeds clean and check debris for edible portions with tongue. Ejection is delicate, only using power of natural gravity. Never spit; crude, rude and boorish. Use of fingers forbidden."

But sucking the bag is not only proper, it is, in many circles, absolutely expected.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.