Anahola, Kauai, Hawaii - Western Pacific Fishery Council

Aku (Katsuo) Cultural ExchangeIn June, Kaiāulu Anahola students and staffwelcomed Keiko Takano of Ocean FoodsCooking School from Kanagawa, Japan.Community members donated aku (skipjacktuna, or katsuo in Japanese) to our after-schoolprogram for this international exchangewith Keiko-sensei (teacher). Keiko-sensei usedtraditional dressings of miso, sesame andginger to prepare fresh aku in sashimi (slicedraw fish) style. Keiko-sensei compared theimportance of miso and other traditionalingredients to our sacred plant, the kalo (taro).Keiko-sensei demonstrated use of every part ofthe aku including the bones to create Japanesesoups and other Japanese delicacies for ourstudents and staff. In addition to this, we hadan opportunity to learn about the Japanesekatsuo fishing culture.