What exactly are kolaces, spaetzle and pierogies? What is in burgoo and gumbo anyway? How did yams and pigs come to America? Answers to these questions and more can be found at the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition, "Key Ingredients: America by Food," when it opens at Kapi'olani Community College on June 28, 2008. The free exhibit will remain on public view at the Lama Library on Kapi'olani CC Diamond Head campus through August 22, then it will travel to Kapolei Library on Sept. 2, Lyman Museum in Hilo on Oct. 31, and Maui Community College on Feb. 14, 2009.

"Key Ingredients: America by Food," explains the little known, the everyday, and the obvious through an entertaining and informative overview of our country's diverse regional cooking and eating traditions. It investigates how culture, ethnicity, landscape and tradition influence foods and flavors we enjoy across the nation. "Key Ingredients" demonstrates how food on the American table is rooted in centuries of continuous borrowing and sharing between people across generations, across cultures and across the land. The exhibit also underscores the contributions made by Native American cultures to our palate and eating habits, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit on which many food production industries are based, such as those of food pioneers Heinz, Campbell and Borden.

In addition to "Key Ingredients," visitors will be able to explore Hawai'i's food traditions and culture through a local exhibition entitled "Hawaii by Food: A Celebration of Hawai'i's Food Culture," which was created by Kapi'olani CC with the support of the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities (HCH).

Another local exhibit called "The Oroku Restaurant Project," a joint effort of the Hawai'i United Okinawa Association (HUOA) and Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i (JCCH), illustrates the history of Hawai'i's Okinawan-owned restaurants, including Columbia Inn, Flamingo Restaurants, Aloha Grill, and more. The Oroku Restaurant exhibit will remain on display throughout the exhibition's run at Kapi'olani CC. The Oroku exhibit will also accompany "Key Ingredients" and "Hawai'i by Food" to Kapolei Library (09/02/08 - 10/18/08).

"Key Ingredients: America by Food" is produced by Museum on Main Street, a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils. Its Hawai'i tour is co-sponsored by the Smithsonian and HCH. KGMB9 and Hansen's Distribution Group provided corporate sponsorship. For more details about "Key Ingredients," go to www.keyingredients.org.

The exhibit is free to the public at the Kapi'olani CC exhibition site. Hours at Kapi'olani CC are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 12 noon to 4 p.m.; and closed on holidays. To arrange for large group tours at Kapi'olani CC exhibition site, please call Louise Yamamoto at (808) 734-9513. For information on these and other “Key Ingredients” events at Kapi‘olani CC, go to http://kcc.hawaii.edu/object/keyingredients.html, or contact the library at (808) 734-9268.

The Oroku Restaurant Project

The Oroku Restaurant Project was launched in early 2002 by Howard Takara and his late daughter Holly, then the president of the Oroku Azajin Club. The project's goal was to inventory Hawai'i's Okinawan-owned restaurants, past and present. The group began by focusing exclusively on restaurants owned by individuals from the small village of Oroku. Phase One of the project concluded with no less than 74 restaurants dating back to 1923. Phase Two of the project is ongoing, and expands the study to include restaurants run by individuals from all parts of Okinawa.

The Okinawan restaurant legacy will also be the focus of a special Okinawan Celebration Day at Kapi'olani CC on Saturday, July 26, featuring a panel discussion about Okinawan restaurants in Hawai'i, performances by Akemi Martin and Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko, and that ever-popular icon of Okinawan food in Hawai'i…andagi!

Film/Lecture Series

In conjunction to the Smithsonian Institution's "Key Ingredients" traveling exhibition, Kapi'olani Community College will present four film/lectures centered around food, multiculturalism and family. Coordinated and hosted by Kalani Fujiwara, the film/lecture series brings to life the unique traditions and culture attached to the food we eat. A brief introduction and discussion by Fujiwara will precede each film. Filmgoers are encouraged to visit the "Key Ingredients" exhibition prior to the showing. This event is free and open to the public.

Soul Food (USA), 1997
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • 'Ohi'a Auditorium (118)
A delightful African-American drama of Sunday dinners and love of family. Traditional Sunday dinners at Mama Joe's turn sour when sisters Teri, Bird and Maxine and their loved ones start bringing their problems to the dinner table in this ensemble family comedy. When tragedy strikes on Mama Joe, it's up to grandson Ahmad and his innocence to pull the family together and put the soul back into the family's weekly feasts.

Rice Rhapsody (Singapore), 2004
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • 'Ohi'a Auditorium (118)
Rice Rhapsody is a family comedy with themes of good cooking, acceptance, and familial love. The film is set in Singapore's Chinatown. Ms. Jen Fan is a single mother of three grown sons and an owner of a successful restaurant. Her signature dish is the "Hainan Chicken Rice" and is well known throughout Singapore. Jen's oldest sons, Daniel and Harry are gay, and Jen is determined for the youngest son, Leo to not turn out gay. Leo has become Jen's life; she is pinning all her hopes of grandchildren on him. She enlists the help of her friend Kim-Chui, who owns a restaurant next door to her restaurant. He is less successful than Jen, but has been in love with her for all these years. She and Kim-Chui hatch a plan that involves bringing a female French exchange student to stay at Jen's house to seduce Leo. Chef Martin Yan is known for his cooking; after this film, you'll believe that Yan can ACT!

Tortilla Soup (USA), 2001
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • 'Ohi'a Auditorium (118)
This tremendously entertaining, funny family drama is based on Director Ang Lee's film, "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman," which appeared in 1994. "Tortilla Soup" stays within the boundaries of the original screenplay. The differences between the two films are palpable and obvious. First, "Tortilla Soup" is set in Los Angeles, California, and the cultural background of the family is Mexican-American. Martin Naranjo is a retired chef and widowed father who chops, cooks, and creates the most magnificent, delicious Mexican meals this side of the Rio Grande. He is the loving father of three adult daughters whom he single-handedly raised after his wife died fifteen years before. Carmen, his oldest daughter, wanted to walk in her father's footsteps and become a chef, but ended up earning an M.B.A. in order to please him (secretly she loves to create new meals and dishes). Leticia ("Letty"), the middle daughter, is more of a "plain-Jane" and a high school teacher whose subject is chemistry. She teaches uneventfully at a public high school. Maribella, the youngest daughter, is more modern and has been accepted to the local University but is contemplating "finding herself" and discovering her interests, especially after she meets André, a handsome young Brazilian. The Mexican food scenes are beautifully filmed and will leave your mouth watering! Each meal presented looks more scrumptious than the last! A trailer of the movie can be found here.

Udon (Japan), 2006
Wednesday, August 6, 2008 • 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. • 'Ohi'a Auditorium (118)
A hilarious and heartwarming family drama about family, life, and that perfect bowl of Udon. Kosuke, the son of an udon shop owner, is from a tiny rural town in Kagawa prefecture (Japan) known for its Udon noodles. Kosuke, however, is sick of his hometown, sick of Udon, and more importantly sick of his imperious father. He decides to try his luck in New York City, only to return six years later as a debt-ridden disappointment. Once back at home, he finds nothing has changed: his big sister still worries about him, his father is still pounding and making Udon, his friends are all the same. Kosuke then meets a clumsy food columnist Kyoko, and the two happen upon a bowl of delicious Udon noodles that changes their lives and their fortune. It is a raucous ride as we see Kosuke achieve a realization that the very thing and the person he hates are the very things in life that he loves the most. A trailer of the movie can be found here.

Storyteller Jeff Gere

To add a voice to the Smithsonian's "Key Ingredients" exhibition, renowned Hawai'i storyteller Jeff Gere has coordinated five Sundays of storytelling tied to the food traditions and culture in Hawai'i. He and his impressive group of storytellers will bring life to the food we eat every Sunday at 2 p.m. starting from July 13 through August 10 at Kapi'olani Community College Lama Library. The event is FREE and open to the public.

July 13 - WE'RE STEWED! A wild swing through myth, tales 'n tunes, personal rants, dreams 'n nightmares… and a Green Refrigerator? Storyteller vegetarian Halloween baby Jeff Gere torments James McCarthy, who's Irish band Doolin' Rakes was just nominated for a Hoku. You are what you eat: these tales digest slowly.

July 20 - ONO WRITES: LOCAL GRINDS! Jason Kanda reads works by Amalia Bueno and Lisa Linn Kanae. Ginger Gohier speaks writings by Kathleen Tyau (How to Cook Rice and Mixing Poi), Lois-Ann Yamanaka (Boss of the Food), Shayna Ann A. Coleon (The Tempura War), David Hyun (Lunch Time), Jody Manabe Kobayashi (KTA Special), and Wing Tek Lum (Chinese Hot Pot). A garnish of food ballads will be added to season the moments.

July 27 - SPICY POUNDINGS! The Endo Taiko Ensemble joins Dann Seki (actor-teller) sharing personal and written tales. Slam poet-author-teacher Brenda Kwon read-cites her work. Try pound these spicy tales and rhythms! They'll get your mouth watering while you think!

August 3 - PRE-CHOLESTEROL TALK STORY. Poet/teller Hina Kahanu, ghost lore expert Lopaka Kapanui, and Kalaupapa's Makia Malo share personal tales as Adela Chu has you making guacamole with a song. Warning: this session may cause listeners to gain weight.

August 10 - EDIBLE ISLANDER TALES. Tongan teller Emil Wolfgramm shares Polynesian tales and legends, ending with consumption of his `umu cooked power-bread using grated coconut. A recognized authority on Tongan & Polynesian epics and rituals, Emil will share several tales. The week after this presentation, he defends his dissertation in Aoteroa on "The Tupaheo! Storytelling and Traditional Tongan Knowledge and Skills" followed by a week telling in Maori tribal marae.

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