Hawaiian cultural education at Kamehameha Schools doesn't take a lunch break. This year, the school's food vendor, Flik Independent School Dining, is partnering with local chef and KSK ‘88 alum Kealoha Domingo for "Hānai ‘Ai" - a program that introduces haumāna to indigenous foods in both traditional and new ways.

"For me, the primary goal is the cultural portion of it," says Domingo. "Being able to reintroduce a large concentration of Hawaiian kids to indigenous ingredients, from their history, from their own culture. We have to build that ‘ono back for this food."

Students and staff at the Kapālama high school campus get the chance to taste a new food around once per month - the elementary and middle schools alternate each month. The program began in October with ‘ulu as the featured ingredient.. After an initial tasting, ‘ulu was incorporated into the regular menu in a variety of ways, such as ‘ulu poke and ‘ulu pa‘i ‘ai.

"This is our opportunity to put the best of the best, the freshest, the most nutritious, the best tasting food in front of them so that they have a better opportunity to learn and, and also, you know, just feed their na‘au," explained Christa Collins, Resident District Manager of Flik Dining. "It really became this almost soul-level purpose, to affect positive change from a nutritional and educational and cultural level."

Domingo agrees the Hānai ‘Ai program is a way to nourish a haumāna's body as well as spirit. "When we feed the traditional foods to the children, it not only reconnects them to their heritage and their culture, but it also reconnects them with the diet that their ancestors were brought up eating." He knows that some traditional foods also carry deeper lessons for what it means to be ‘ōiwi. "Take kalo, there's a direct connection through mo‘olelo, that kalo is our ancestor. It teaches mālama ‘aina."

Collins already sees the positive effect the new menu is having, even off-campus. "The kids go home and tell their parents 'oh, I ate this fish, oh, I ate that.' And now they're saying, 'oh, I ate this indigenous food from the Hānai ‘Ai table.'"

Members of Flik Independent School Dining present Chef Kealoha Domingo and ‘ulu dish that kicked off the Hānai ‘Ai program at KSK.

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