“Kiawe Stew” by ku‘ualoha ho‘omanawanui

Author Questions:

• Good food and good literature feed the mind and nourish the soul—how is the concept of memory intertwined with both?
• Hawai‘i is known for its diversity of languages as well as cuisines and mixed flavors—how does writing about food in multiple languages enhance (or affect) the reader’s experience?
• Language and food are essential aspects of any culture (and cultural identity). How does reading and writing about specific intersections of food and language lend to a better understanding of the history and politics of the place where cultures, languages, and foods are situated?

In the shade of the kiawe tree
neighborhood children gather
bringing treasures from home

an onion smooth round and pungent
a potato creamy white
a carrot slightly withered
they gather under the watchful tree

a filched wooden match lights the fire
under three-pound coffee tins
the scent of kiawe drifts lazily
in the warm twilight

mingles with the sound of barking dogs and laughter
Mrs. Cabral from next door
slices thick wedges of sweetbread soft golden and homemade
the perfect accomplice to kiawe stew.

© 2011 by ku‘ualoha ho‘omanawanui