[intro music] HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Aloha and welcome to this episode of HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Raylen Grace Ganir.

I'm a fourth grader at Honowai Elementary School on O‘ahu.

We have an exciting show for you.

We will reveal the winning entries of HIKI NŌ's 2025 Fall Challenge competition.

Get ready, because this one will make you drool.

That's because for this challenge, the prompt was 'Food is Memory.'

Usually, students have weeks to work on projects for HIKI NŌ and lots of help from our teachers and mentors, but for our challenge competitions, students only get five days to produce their stories.

Winning teams were selected by HIKI NŌ judges for their technical and storytelling skills, as well as how they shared the connection between food, our hearts, minds, bellies, and soul.

Now, it's time to watch the winning entries.

Let's start with an honorable mention in our high school division.

In the high school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge receiving an honorable mention is Hawai‘i Technology Academy on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

Let's meet a mother and son who share their love for a traditional Filipino stew that reminds them of their mother and grandmother.

No matter where I go, as long as I have sinigang, I'm reminded of home.

If I close my eyes while eating sinigang, where am I?

I'm back in the Philippines, where I first fell in love with the dish.

Food creates memories in countless ways, through warmth, through time and through love.

For Sammy, one bowl of sinigang brings him back to his Lola's dining room in the Philippines, the place where he first fell in love with its tangy, comforting flavor.

It's more than a dish.

It's the taste of home.

When I think of the smell of sinigang, it holds this certain aroma that I just, I can't describe.

It's like something about mixing the chicken and the garlic and the olive oil and the tomatoes together just creates this love for my Lola, I guess.

Sinigang has always been measured from the heart.

The recipe has passed through three generations, from his Lola to his mother and now to him.

I would say the twist on sinigang, our sinigang, the Liddell sinigang, is that we use chicken, and most people use beef or shrimp or pork, but we tend to use chicken.

And everyone that I've talked to who has used everything else other than chicken always look at me funny, because we use chicken.

So, the Liddell sinigang is made with chicken.

sour and rich with pork, fish and many other vegetables, and every spoonful is a story of family and tradition.

For Sammy, it's more than food.

It's comfort, connection, and the memory of where it all began.

This is Gabriella Bronson from Hawai‘i Technology Academy for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

There was another honorable mention in the 2025 HIKI NŌ Fall Challenge high school division, and that went to H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui.

Congratulations.

Get ready to explore a popular outdoor food market on Maui.

Sunday Market is like, my go-to market.

Like, I always enjoy looking forward to coming, even if I'm a little late, but I'm always here.

The Maui Sunday Market is a community focused event organized by the Maui Food Technology Center to support local entrepreneurs and showcase local culture.

The market is held every week from 4 to 8 p.m.

in the old Kahului Shopping Center parking lot.

The Sunday Market, that's a wonderful event.

We've been there for the longest time.

People can come out, hang out with their family, have a good meal and just have a lot of fun.

Sunday Market offers a variety of local food trucks and vendors for everyone to enjoy some local kine grinds.

They keep it all on Maui.

Everybody comes.

It's just fun, because we're just moving our products to the community, and everything comes back.

So, it's all in the community, yeah.

Because of the community support, these small businesses are able to thrive.

I feel like Sunday Market has helped us establish our foothold with the community, and it's just all around, just very positive.

It's a free, family friendly event that gives the community a chance to gather and connect together.

I don't know, I think it's family oriented.

What do you guys think?

It's like bringing local friends, I mean, local community, and you get all kinds of vendors here.

The Sunday Market honors local companies that share their food and creations with the community, bringing family and friends together for a fun filled evening.

We're making history right now.

This is Lawena Kalehuawehe from H.P.

Baldwin High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

And now, in the high school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge, receiving third place is Kauai High School.

Congratulations.

In this story, a Filipino dish serves as a heartfelt memory of a late grandmother.

if you get the recording, we hope you feel better, and we love you.

We love you.

Grandmother Hilaria Peng Lau was a kind-hearted woman with a lifelong devotion to cooking and nurturing.

Her daughter, Novelyn, a caring mom of two children and a happy family, shares her love for her mother as well as her passion for cooking miki, a traditional Filipino comfort food, similar to chicken noodle soup, that has been passed down for generations.

Hi, I'm Novelyn Hinazumi, and I'm the daughter of Hilaria Panglao.

I think of my mom when I cook.

She was my first teacher in how to make dishes, and she loved to cook.

She actually would say ʻMama loves to cook’ and ‘Mama loves to feed.’ I wouldn't say that cooking is a labor of love.

I would say cooking is just love.

Miki has sentimental meaning for me, because it's the one dish that my mom and I cooked a lot growing up, and she passed a few years ago, so it makes me think about her when I make miki with my kids the same way that she made miki with me as a kid.

Making miki isn't just about the taste and texture.

It's a way to connect with one another and give something that no one else can give to your family.

It's not a dish that you can get at the restaurants.

It's something that you make homemade.

Cooking is also one of the many ways to keep memories alive.

Yes, I would say that cooking miki does keep Mama's memory alive.

In fact, today, when we're rolling the dough and making the ingredients, and my son, Aaron, was helping me with it, I was thinking about when Mama was helping me when I was a kid as well.

I think Mama would just be so happy that we're giving her recipes down to the next generation, and she always loved food, so she would just be really happy right now.

Cooking for your family is one of the most rewarding things, and I love to see how they take that lesson learned from cooking and do it themselves.

And so, it makes me think about when they are older, with their families, they'll be able to do the same thing.

This is Aaron Hinazumi from Kauaʻi High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

And now coming in second in the middle school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge is Maui Waena Intermediate School on Maui.

Congratulations.

These Maui middle schoolers take us to a farm where they grow kalo, or taro, one of the most important foods in Hawaiian culture and cuisine.

Gods and Goddesses back then, the first child that came of that was a stillborn, and his name was Hāloa.

And so, Hāloa was put into the ground, and from Hāloa's body came the first taro plant.

And the tradition of caring for kalo is continued in the heart of Waihe‘e at Ka‘ehu Farm, where members of the community are gathering to restore this farm, and the harvest is far greater than just food.

And so, the connection that I see is really tied to being able to do, you know, fulfilling, purposeful work that can tie into nourishing ourselves through that physical labor, through that connection to earth and ‘āina, and also how that can support us as an organization and being able to grow more food for our community.

But for some working the taro farm plants the seeds of a more productive life.

stands for Positive Outreach Intervention.

It's a juvenile program in the Maui Police Department.

the community service, we're helping to restore the ‘āina, to restore our food sovereignty, but also to help our kids who are getting into trouble with the police or just at home in general, for them to find a sense of, you know, self-confidence, so that they find a more positive activity, for them to feel more connected.

[So, um..] What I tend to see is people coming in and, you know, I get it, it's Saturday morning.

It's like 8 a.m., like, this is generally the last place most people want to be on a weekend.

And so, there's a certain body posture that I see, and it's sort of like more closed off.

You know, "Oh, why am I here?

I don't want to be here."

I tell you what, though, by the time we're pau, like, people are happy, they're smiling, they're joking.

And I think that even in, you know, those few hours that people are here, that there is that shift.

And I think that's something that's missing for many of our lives, and we actually see like, that switch.

I think the program has nourished me.

I felt like I actually did something on Saturdays rather than sleeping in all day and felt more calming.

Project gives them self-confidence, focus, and makes them part of the kaiaulu that is Maui.

and so that's an important piece, because especially when it comes to kalo.

Kalo definitely is something that is nourishing physically.

This is Breya Higa from Maui Waena Intermediate School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

Receiving second place in the high school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge is Waiākea High School on Hawai‘i Island.

Congratulations.

submission entitled “Memories That Stick,” students collected several stories from people who love rice.

Rice was first brought to Hawai‘i in the mid-1800s by Chinese immigrants brought here to work on plantations.

It then became widely adopted by other cultures by the late 19th century.

Today, rice is a staple in almost every household in Hawai‘i.

Just one of the five senses can trigger a heartwarming memory, whether it be the taste of a musubi or even the smell of freshly cooked, warm rice.

The taste of my childhood is definitely rice at the beach - the salty, handmade triangle musubi formed by my mom, all easy to pick at and eat with your hands, hands still partially wet and salty themselves from swimming, or if we were picnicking, just enjoying the view.

Everything tastes better outside.

Nowadays,y kids request spam musubis instead of plain.

It's a little different than how I'm used to but I don't mind.

I'm just happy they get to grow up local style.

When I wash rice, I always pause for a moment before turning on the water.

The grains are so small, yet they seem endless in the bowl.

I lower my hand into the bowl, and the rest gives away, like sand slipping between my fingers.

When the water runs in, the grains swirl around.

The water turns cloudy, but I can still feel each grain that glides past.

It's a quiet and peaceful moment, but it shows the way small things can grab your full attention.

The sounds of mochi tsuki are one of my clearest childhood memories.

Mochi tsuki for my family wasn't just a tradition, it was the start of our New Year celebration.

I remember the steady beat as family and friends took turns pounding the steamed rice in the usu.

Children ran around laughing while mothers told them to stop playing with the flour.

Every sound had its own rhythm, the thud of the mallet, the hiss of the steam, the slap of wet hands and happy voices all around.

Where's the fan?

We don't need any Popo, we're eating spaghetti.

No, no, I'll go make it.

I watched that little Asian lady scurry to the kitchen, her grandson, my dad, calling after her in frustration.

He'd spent time making that spaghetti, and yet she was determined to make rice anyway.

To her, fan, rice, belonged at every meal, no exceptions.

Then came that smell, sweet, clean, comforting the smell of warm rice, filling the air like a memory.

Whenever I catch that smell, I think of her my Bakbak, my great grandmother, and always her persistence fan with every meal.

up, I have memories of my grandmother making me musubi for snacks.

She would quickly mold the hot, steaming rice between her hands, creating a triangle of simple goodness.

Her musubi weren't always perfectly shaped.

The edges and corners weren't symmetrical or pretty, and each one was unique and held a personal connection to her.

In our modern-day rush for quickness and efficiency, mass producing musubi has become a mechanical process, simply pressing a scoop of rice between plastic molds.

While perfectly shaped and mirror image clones of each other, they lack the beauty and personal touch of handmade musubi.

Whether eaten alone as a snack or along with a meal, rice is always creating memories that stick for a lifetime.

This is Madelyn Awaya from Waiākea High School on HIKI NŌ, for PBS Hawai‘i.

Receiving first place in the middle school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge is Āliamanu Middle School on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

by this special story about a family-run bakery in Kalihi.

Before the city stirs the sweet scents of fresh point donuts drift through the streets of Honolulu.

Inside Kamehameha Bakery, another day begins.

Kawailani Saladino is a student at Āliamanu Middle School and the granddaughter of the owners of Kamehameha Bakery.

Once in a while, she helps out at the family bakery.

My favorite memory at the bakery definitely has to be when I would do ʻmaking box’ challenge with my cousins.

We would always verse each other to see who's fastest.

Kamehameha Bakery isn't just home to recipes for food, but as it turns out, it can be a recipe for love for Kawailani’s parents.

My favorite pastry was the custard danish.

So, my excuse to come to the bakery to see her was to buy custard danish, and then it ended up being free, and then I ended up dating the oldest daughter, which now why I'm connected to the bakery.

the cornbread was always my favorite.

I don't know why, but I would always eat it in a bowl and gloves, just to feel like I'm a baker, but that and banana would always be in my hand, and I'd be running around in my pigtails, and that's just one of my core memories, and I would definitely never forget it.

the bakery was awesome, and you know, since we're a family-oriented business, I got the wife, my sister-in-law, and my oldest helped open it, even when, you know, we're still skeleton crew, but we made it work, and it kind of shows how family is important.

So, I say for my experience, I love it because I'm with family.

food isn't just made, it's remembered.

A space where food connects people through shared memories and emotions, where families could bond through the love of food.

This is Marielle Cachero from Āliamanu Middle School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

Receiving first place in the high school division of the 2025 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge is: it was a tie!

Two schools are receiving this honor: Campbell High School on O‘ahu and Maui High School.

Congratulations.

from Campbell High School about a young chef and entrepreneur.

At just 17-years-old, Marshall Polito, a senior in high school, started his very own food business: Uncle M's Smash Burgers.

I love cooking for people and providing a service.

I've been cooking since I was in like, freshman year selling musubis, sophomore year selling mac and cheese, and then I escalated to doing like food vending.

I saved up my money to be able to do, like, outside night market events and catering for other people.

From selling musubis at school to running his own burger business, Marshall's story started through family.

It's been a passion in my family for cooking.

My dad's side of the family always cooked Italian food and Hispanic food.

I always saw how good and how much joy food brought to our family, and how it would bring people together.

Seeing my dad’s side of the family chef it up was always really cool, how they throw things together, not measuring anything, but everyone would still enjoy it.

When Marshall was six years old, he had lost his mom to cancer, and food became his escape.

When my mom passed when I was six, there was a court battle for my custody.

I feel like I couldn't make decisions.

There was already pre-made assumptions about me and who I was because of the attitude that I brought around because I was hurting so much, and I didn't know what to do with my feelings because I was so young.

After my mom passed, my grandma, she would just like, constantly cook.

It would help us get through the rough times, honestly, together just eating.

in a new home surrounded by new flavors, Marshall found a new joy.

When I had moved here, I found a lot of joy in eating, because the food here is so good.

I moved here, I gained weight.

I gained a lot of weight, and I was like, wow, this is really good.

I want to start cooking more.

I love trying to cook new things.

It became my like, second escape.

Every burger I smash, or that they smash, I make sure that it's out of passion and not out of oh, this is another sale.

I'm going to make money off of it.

But it's more of oh, I have the joy of being able to serve other people and show what we're about.

Today, Marshall is starting a new business, Let's Go Bananas, making new memories, doing what he loves with the support of those around.

Hi, I'm Reimi.

Today I'm here helping support Marshall's banana bread business.

I met him at the church through my husband, Von.

It just makes me so proud to be able to know Marshall and just be here to support him through what he's going through, because this is a huge thing for a 17-year-old to be doing on his own, you know?

Yeah, woah, sorry, crying.

Through his food, Marshall hopes to bring people together one burger and banana bread at a time.

I never thought that food would be so impactful to me and my life, my friends around me.

I've always loved how food brought people together.

Cooking for people has been my opportunity, in a way, of bringing my friends and family together.

I know that cliche of like, how grandparents and parents say, "Oh, it was made with love," and when people say that now and when I say that it really does mean something.

Like, cooking food isn't just cooking food.

It's a passion and love for it that bring people together, and that's what I remember.

This is Landon Espiritu from James Campbell High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

Maui High School students also chose to document a bakery beloved by its community.

We work really hard to make sure that everything tastes the same now that it did 10 years ago, that it did 20 years ago.

Maui, Stillwell's Bakery strives to serve the community fresh pastries with a side of nostalgia.

People who were here five or six years old, eating our cream horns.

And then now they come back 15, 20, years later, after college, and they come back and they have that same cream horn, and they're like, it's exactly like how I had it when I was little.

I first went when it first opened, and then I've had many sessions of enjoying meals here with various friends.

And, you know, we try different things, and we share what we try.

And I've even picked friends up from the airport and brought them here.

I've even gone in there with my young family friends, and just watch their eyes as they look at everything go, you know, because they see it just looks like tasty treats.

Stillwell's retirement fueled the new management to keep spreading the spirit of aloha.

I knew the original owners, and they used recipes that were handed down through their family.

The recipes that we use in all of our sandwiches and salads are just the same recipes that they that her family has been using for generations.

So, it's food that she found comforting as a child, that she wanted to bring and give to everybody else to comfort them too.

My wife is from Maui.

She has been eating Stillwell’s since middle school.

We have our own daughter.

She brings her here just that way she can show her like I used to eat this as a little kid too.

Then she'll be able to bring her daughter, and they'll be able to share this meal that they've been having for generations, which is amazing.

Connecting with customers has been their key ingredient to success, providing them a taste of home, proving that food is memory.

We definitely aim to make sure that the quality only gets better and better every year so that way people can have that memory from when they have as little kids.

We're just thankful that we've got to do it for 30 years now.

Well, to me, the transition is so smooth I didn't even know there was a change of ownership.

So, you know, that's good.

There hasn't been any radical changes to me that have affected anything.

Everybody is still just as congenial, and, of course, the quality of what's here.

That's the main thing.

And it's been good all along.

I haven't even noticed that there's been a change.

I hope, like everything else here on Maui, I hope we can just keep going and keep growing and keep being here and enjoying friendly, nice people.

from Maui High School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

There was another entry in our high school division that the judges felt deserved an honorable mention: Lahainaluna High School on Maui.

Congratulations.

This next tasty tutorial goes over how to make gyoza, or Japanese dumplings.

Want to know how to make gyoza?

Here's my family recipe.

The ingredients you'll need are Chinese cabbage, ground pork, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, gyoza wrappers, cornstarch, soy sauce and sesame oil.

First, prepare your Chinese cabbage by finely cutting it up.

Take a bowl of shiitake mushrooms and add boiling water to it.

Let it soak for a few minutes.

Chop the mushrooms up and add your ground pork and green onions to a bowl.

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl or container.

Get your gyoza wrappers and filling with a bowl of water and fold them one by one.

Lastly, pan fry the gyoza, adding water into the pan to steam.

This is Cy Yasutake from Lahainaluna High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

Congratulations to all the student teams who worked so hard under the pressure of a five-day deadline.

We hope you enjoyed the work of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Don't forget to subscribe to PBS Hawai‘i on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more at pbshawaii.org.

Tune in next week for more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

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