Photo credit: Wahine'aipohaku Tong
Every quarter, we're joined by friends from across the food system to discuss important issues, nurture the linkages that keep us healthy, and celebrate our connections to our most important foodways. Last Friday, we were delighted to come together to celebrate and learn about the sweet potato. This drought-resistant crop is one of the most important starches in the Pacific, and we were joined by guest speakers Aurora Kagawa-Viviani and Kealii Parker to learn more about sweet potato varieties, growing practices, traditional stories, and medicinal uses.
The Roots team also had fun showing off the really diverse ways this crop can be turned into delicious dishes. Guests were treated to:
- Palula (sweet potato greens) mixed rice
- Blanched palula salad
- Garlicky 'uala mash
- 'Uala oat bars
- Ube ice cream
- Italian soda with sweet potato simple syrup
Sweet potato for this event was supplied by some of our Food Hub partners, including Mea'ai Pono and the Reppuns. Our Food Hub, established in 2015, links local farmers with Kalihi community members by bringing locally-grown, sustainable produce from farms directly into the KKV health center, and other sites throughout the valley.
