{"id":205701,"date":"2024-10-29T14:59:21","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T00:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=205701"},"modified":"2024-11-08T16:27:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-09T02:27:30","slug":"tori-hiro-shines-taste-of-hilo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/29\/tori-hiro-shines-taste-of-hilo\/","title":{"rendered":"Tori Hiro shines as featured chef at ‘A Taste of Hilo’"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Tori Hiro’s lilikoi tarts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community College\u2019s<\/a> culinary and agriculture programs took center stage at the 26th annual “A Taste of Hilo” on October 27, where Culinary Program Lab Manager and alumna Tori Hiro was honored as the event’s featured chef.<\/p>\n

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Shawn Sumiki, Tori Hiro and Philton Velasco with the lilikoi picked from Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr>‘s ag program<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaii\u2019s annual fundraising event brought together more than 30 local vendors at Sangha Hall, spotlighting the talents of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> students and faculty through farm-to-table creations.<\/p>\n

“Being chosen as the featured chef for ‘A Taste of Hilo’ is an incredible honor for Tori and the college, and represents the importance of our culinary program in the community,\u201d said Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> Chancellor Susan Kazama. “We are so lucky to have a homegrown talent like Tori leading the next generation of culinary professionals.”<\/p>\n

Highlighting educational agriculture partnerships<\/h2>\n
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Shawn Sumiki\u02bbs lettuce wraps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From serving as a pastry chef at Four Seasons Hualalai to a celebrated culinary educator at Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr>, Hiro has participated in “A Taste of Hilo” for 12 years. The Hilo native presented a vibrant lilikoi tart crafted from passion fruit grown by the college’s agriculture students.<\/p>\n

“I decided to make a dessert with lilikoi because I really wanted to highlight the unique farm-to-table partnership between Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community College\u2019s agriculture and culinary Programs,” Hiro said. “Ninety percent of what they grow and harvest at the Panaʻewa<\/span> Farm is delivered to the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> culinary arts program for our students to use in the learning lab.”<\/p>\n

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Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> culinary program students with Agriculture Professor Lew Nakamura (top row, left), Chef Tori Hiro , Chef Philton Velasco (bottom row, left) and Chef Shawn Sumiki (bottom row, right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> Associate Professor Shawn Sumiki continued the farm-to-table focus with his hydroponic lettuce and ʻuala<\/span> (Hawaiian sweet potato) in a Korean-inspired wrap.<\/p>\n

“Our culinary team, all graduates of this program, works hard to produce workforce-ready students with both skills and values,” said Sumiki, a 22-year veteran of the event.<\/p>\n

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry has donated more than $200,000 to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr> over the years. “A Taste of Hilo” also gave Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s culinary arts students valuable industry experience and the chance to connect with future employers— reinforcing the event’s deep community impact.<\/p>\n