HILO — Cafeterias statewide were offered the opportunity to serve ʻuala (sweet potato) as a lunch side item this May. Approximately 372 pounds of local Okinawan sweet potato were distributed to 91 participating schools. 

ʻUala is rich in vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as antioxidants and dietary fiber, supporting immune health, vision and digestive health. In ancient Hawai’i, farmers cultivated approximately 200 distinct varieties of ‘uala. Today, the Okinawan sweet potato has become one of the few varieties that is grown commercially in the islands. The variety has more antioxidants than others due to its high levels of anthocyanin, which also gives the vegetable its vibrant purple color.

Hilo Union School served the local ʻuala alongside their BBQ kalua pork sandwich lunch. 

“Our administration has been really great and supportive of our cafeteria when our supervisor gives us all these different special events that we can get involved with for the students,” April Weber, Hilo Union school food services manager, said. “We love introducing it to them and I think that’s a great opportunity for them to see, taste, and even just be part of this.” 

The pop of purple on students’ plates was exciting for those familiar with the vegetable and intriguing for students who were trying it for the first time. 

“I like the color of it,” said Hilo Union fourth grader Declan Robinson, who never had ʻuala before. “It’s kind of different … It looks cool.”

Sixth grader Isabella-Marie Wells, on the other hand, was thrilled to see it on the lunch menu. “I just love sweet potato. It’s something that I’ve always loved and always will love. Every time my mom has sweet potato at home, that’s the first thing I grab and put on my plate.”

Local ʻuala has frequently made its way onto school menus in recent years, either in its steamed form like this month, or in special dishes like Okinawan sweet potato pie, sweet potato mash, and sweet potato yogurt bowls. Next school year, students will see the Okinawan sweet potato mash on their lunch menus and Okinawan sweet potato yogurt bowl on their breakfast menus. 

夏威夷公立学校是该州最大的食品机构消费者，每天为 100,000 多名学生提供餐食。该部门将继续与全州的当地供应商密切合作，以期在未来定期在所有学校推广新鲜的当地农产品。