Family Ingredients

Every dish has a story, and every family has a dish. Family Ingredients is a culinary travel series that tells these unique stories by tracing the origins of a Hawaii dish to its roots around the world. Not quite a documentary, not quite a cooking show, Family Ingredients is a joyful ode to farmers, food producers and families. Hosted by acclaimed O‘ahu chef and sustainability hero Ed Kenney, the story begins in the Hawaiian Islands, where big things are happening in the state’s dynamic culinary scene. Beautifully filmed, Family Ingredients showcases Hawai‘i’s small town communities, diverse cultures, and exhilarating experiences that cross the Pacific Ocean. Engaging, authentic, funny, even a bit quirky, Ed is the perfect host to trace these dishes around the globe. He takes off with guests to explore Okinawa, Tahiti, California, Japan, Puerto Rico, and the Hawaiian Islands, showcasing how cuisine can profoundly unite cultures, communities and families.

Distributed by PBS
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Show Schedule
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Ed Kenney

Ed Kenney

Family Ingredients' Ed Kenney is a successful restaurateur in Hawai‘i who had no idea he wanted to be a chef – or a TV host.

Hawai'i - Poi

Episode #101H · Hawaiian cuisine is blazing its way into kitchens across America with exciting flavors and ingredients, but the most famous Hawaiian dish is the one that is most misunderstood.

Okinawa - Soki Soba

Episode #102H · Don't confuse Okinawan soba with Japanese soba. The blend of noodles, soup, and pork spare ribs embodies the spirit of the Okinawan people and the complex history of their islands.

Tahiti - Poisson Cru

Episode #103H · Modern seafarers proved that Polynesians navigated their world in canoes, following the stars. Meet a crew member on a worldwide voyage with a stop at his ancestral home - a family moment to remember and a dish never to forget.

California-Pipi Kaula

Episode #104H · Hawaiian cowboys, who were considered among the best in the world, made tender beef jerky called pipi kaula. Trace the origins of the Hawaiian cowboy lifestyle to the adobes of California, and see how the traditions are still enjoyed today.

Japan- Miso Soup

Episode #105H · In Japan, miso factories are like microbreweries in America. Hawai'i chefs Ed Kenney and Alan Wong search for the finest ingredients and dive deep into a bowl of Wong's favorite childhood dish, miso soup.

Puerto Rico- Arroz Con Gandule

Episode #106H · Puerto Rican pride thrives in Hawai'i! Chef Ed meets up with entertainer Tiara Hernandez, whose family grew up in Waikiki. Tiara follows a culinary path to a country she's never seen to learn more about her heritage.

California - Smoked Fish

Episode #201 · Join North Shore's Jack Johnson, singer-songwriter, surfer and ocean activist, as he shares memories of his father on a road trip along the California coast. Enjoy the music, smoked fish and tales about early surfer migration to Hawai'i.

Philippines - Adobo

Episode #202 · Travel with Sheldon Simeon, a Top Chef "Fan Favorite," as he makes his first trip to the Philippines. Born and raised in the small town of Hilo, Hawai'i, Simeon credits his dad for his love of Filipino cuisine.

Wisconsin - Fiddlehead Fern

Episode #203 · Hear from Kaua'i farmer Valerie Kaneshiro, forced to leave her home on an Ojibwe reservation in Wisconsin at 15. She tells a story of loss, rediscovery and lessons learned while sharing an ingredient in a dish found in Wisconsin and Hawai'i.

Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City - Pho

Episode #204 · Follow popular Hawai'i chef Andrew Le to Ho Chi Minh City, to taste pho, the national dish of Vietnam, and to connect to his family roots in the city his parents fled in 1975, barely escaping the fall of Saigon.

Vietnam, Hanoi - Pho

Episode #205 · Join chefs Ed Kenney and Andrew Le in Hanoi to learn about the origins of pho. Visit an ancient village and find out about a near-tragedy that brought the Le family closer and jump-started Andrew's culinary career.

Lana'i - Venison

Episode #206 · Follow Hawaiian hula dancer, cultural practitioner and sustainable hunter Anela Marie Kawehikulaonalani Evans from the hunting grounds of Lana'i Island to the largest hula competition in the world, the Merrie Monarch Festival.