Hawaiian Culture in Culinary Arts, Kamehameha Middle School

Meet DJ High, Kumu (teacher) of Culinary Arts at Kamehameha Middle School, Hawaiʻi Campus.

“During the pandemic, it was almost impossible just to find regular flour at the grocery store,” DJ says.

He had to start looking for alternatives to use in his culinary arts classes, which was whatever was available at the time.

“It was really things that were locally sourced because those farmers were able to stay in production,” he says. “We didn't have to worry about the shipping lines. We didn't have to worry about whether or not a boat was going to come in or a plane was going to arrive on time.”

Replacing imported starches with Hawaiʻi-grown products led him to think about ways his culinary arts class could incorporate more produce from our ʻāina, which uncovered ways to integrate culture into the curriculum—not just teaching about traditional crops but the creation stories associated with them.

“I think [ʻulu flour] is still under-utilized. I think there’s so much to explore in the world of culinary arts as far as ʻulu,” he says. “And I love that I’m able to be a part of those who are testing things and pushing the limits, and R&D and trying to figure out what’s going on and how we can utilize this to meet the desires of our community today.”

As the likelihood of novel diseases and extreme weather events rises, threatening more supply chain disruptions, supporting local food producers and ensuring that the next generation knows how to use our ʻāina’s bounty are crucial for our food security and community resilience.

One way that Kumu DJ High’s class uses ʻulu flour is in pizza with ʻulu flour crust. You can practice using Hawaiʻi-grown staples at home with ʻUlu Flour made with Hawaiʻi Grown Breadfruit.

Find ʻUlu Flour at your nearest grocery store with our product locator.