Foodies and chefs gather on Oahu for 14th annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival kicked off its Oahu events this week with dozens of top local and international chefs and winemakers, showcasing their culinary talent using local ingredients.

Organizers say this year’s theme is empowerment and urge conversations about global cooking traditions, native agriculture and food systems of indigenous communities.

“To understand that food bridges our existence from in the now to those whom have gone before, and establishes pathways that will take our next generations into the future,” said Kumu Hina Wong, ambassador of culture for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

“Decolonizing our understanding of what we eat, why we eat, where and how we eat, and the manner in which we share that which we eat.”

Chef Francis Ang and his wife Dian, owners of Restaurant Abaca in San Francisco, are taking part in their second HFWF and served a Filipino inspired dish made with pig ears, salmon and tuna during the “Behind the Cellar” event on Friday night.

They joined HNN’s Sunrise talk to about elevating Filipino food and sharing the flavors of their culture.

There are a few more events left — a Culinary EmpowHERment brunch Sunday morning at the Outrigger Reef in Waikiki will celebrate women’s leadership and entrepreneurship with the James Beard Foundation.

A Spice Market beachside tasting at Kohola Lagoon 1 at Ko Olina resort on Sunday night features a number of creative culinary talent.

Visit hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com for tickets.

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