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THE O F OD ISSUE VOL 36, NO. 1 SEP/OCT 2021

The Importance of Eating Together → By Connor Malinger (‘22) EDITORIAL

By Samantha Sebastian (‘22)

This Eagle Eye issue is the brainchild of working before late school lunches. While brainstorming about what the theme of our fall issue should be, we couldn’t help but return to the topic of food, a common occurrence during our F periods. As we began to drift from our task at hand to discussions on our favorite places to eat, I realized that we were missing the most obvious and interesting idea at hand: a food-themed issue. Food is something that brings everyone together. Even though we may have different tastes, we can all agree that food is something we all appreciate. If we’ve enjoyed a satisfying meal with someone, it’s often not just the food that makes the experience memorable but the conversations and friendship shared. With the pandemic, eating together has become more difficult; but going the extra mile to make eating together possible—even if it is just with family or close friends—is worth the effort. With every meal we share, we learn more about those who take part in it with us, whether it is through the what we say to each other or through seeing each other eat. The table provides a window into details about someone. One can learn more about a person by noticing how he eats, what he eats, how he appreciates food and more. No one is the same. Every time I go out with my friends, we almost always end up eating together, including having many barbecues at Ala Moana Beach Park. This is no coincidence. Doing something together—in this case, eating together— facilitates conversation and alleviates any social anxiety

one might have especially if you’re with someone you may not know very well. A conversation over a meal with my friends can go anywhere from complaining about someone’s cooking, listing our favorite foods, to sharing stories about my antics in elementary school. As I write this, I realize that I do not have many meals like that left with my friends here. Next year I’m going to be going away to college and hundreds of miles will separate me from them. The same goes for meals with my family. We eat together every night—all five of us at the table, telling stories about our daily escapades, reliving memories of family disasters, and sorting out who will drive who where tomorrow—and I can’t really imagine what it will feel like to eat dinner without them. I also eat dinner with my grandparents twice a week, and I will miss our debates on the importance of open-minded perspectives, and excited descriptions of my last cross country race. To be certain, I will make new friends and enjoy meals with them, but they won’t know about how I smashed an ice-cream cone with my hands after it fell over at the dinner table, giving my sisters a laugh and a story to remember. On the flip side, when I eat alone, my only focus is to finish the food I have. I also seek company, whether it’s in the characters in a book I’m reading or in a vlog, attempting to fill the void that eating with someone else fulfills. The next time you sit down to eat, find someone to share the meal with. If you don’t normally eat with your family, make it a point to do so, treasuring the time and taking advantage of the opportunity to learn more about them.

FOOD DIARIES of Cover Photos By Justin Mayeshiro (‘22) and Connor Malinger (‘22)

FOUR HBA STUDENTS

MADISON CALLO (‘24) BREAKFAST Honey Bunches of Oats cereal with oat milk LUNCH 3 slices of veggie pizza with Doritos SNACK 1 bowl of grapes DINNER Sauteed salmon, rice and broccoli

EAGLE EYE Hawaii Baptist Academy 2429 Pali Highway Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 Hawaii Baptist Academy’s Eagle Eye is a student-run and studentcentered publication.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Connor Malinger (‘22)

Noah Hu (‘23) Dylan Okamura (‘24) Justin Mayeshiro (‘22) Samantha Sebastian (‘22) Jeremiah Seng (‘23) Gabrielle Steffany (‘24) Skylar Takeuchi (‘23) Anne Tasaka (‘22) Joni Ruan (‘22)

ADVISOR Eunice Sim

BREAKFAST Honey Bunches of Oats cereal with raspberries, banana slices, and oat milk LUNCH 2 tortilla ham sandwich wraps DINNER Fish curry, rice, and salad

JOSHUA UYEMA (‘25)

BREAKFAST 4 eggs, 4 slices of Canadian bacon and rice LUNCH 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2lb rice DINNER 2 chicken thighs and rice

KAIYA TOM (‘23)

BREAKFAST 1/2 slice of toast with peanut butter and banana

JETHRO THOMAS (‘22)

LUNCH 3 vegetarian spring rolls with lettuce, dragonfruit and an orange

BREAKFAST 2 hardboiled eggs with a slice of bread and a sausage

DINNER Clams with pasta and french bread

LUNCH Pastrami Subway footlong with Gatorade and Ruffles DINNER Chicken and egg casserole

STAFF

EMMA WATANABE (‘22)

An Unexpected Harvest

→ By Samantha Sebastian (‘22) FEATURE

Like Jack and his beanstalk, senior Kate Higa scattered a few seeds in her backyard, not knowing that they would sprout into a newfound passion. Despite living in the lush area of Kaneohe, Higa paid little attention to the vegetation around her. However, during the fall of 2020, Higa found herself mesmerized by her neighbor’s new garden, thinking how cool it would be to start one of her own. So while many students confined themselves indoors during the pandemic, she eagerly went outside and cleared a part of her wedelia-infested backyard to plant three seeds from Ko’olau Farmers: cucumber, daikon, and honeydew. The honeydew was assaulted by slugs, but to her surprise and great joy, she harvested some robust daikons and sleek cucumbers. From that point on, Higa’s passion for gardening grew along with the number of vegetables and fruit plants in her garden. At first, Higa’s commitment to gardening was motivated by a practical need: to save money due to the rising cost of produce at the supermarket during the pandemic. “Why am I buying lettuce for two bucks a pound or something when I can grow it?,” she said. However, Higa was surprised at how much gardening soil she needed to get started. With each bag costing around seven to eight dollars, she bought four to five bags every one to two weeks, spending a total of five-hundred dollars to fill her raised bed, pot her seedlings, and buy planter boxes. Eventually, though, as Higa’s garden began to produce more harvests, she was able to actually see her grocery savings grow as they offset her initial start-up costs.

to vegetables and cultivating produce of the freshest quality. When it comes to deciding what goes in her garden, Higa is more experimental than consistent, as she is very open minded to trying new things. For inspiration, she browses novel sources such as Youtube and Tiktok, and she follows several accounts such as Kevin Espiritu from Epic Gardening, Self Sufficient Me, and James Prigironi, as their posts often inspire her to keep gardening. As she kept on adding more variety to her garden, Higa upped her salad game, serving cucumber, tomato, radishes, basil, and nasturtium flowers along with lettuce. She was surprised by how good basil tasted with salad, and with her family’s appreciation for spicy flavors. (The nasturtium gives salads a peppery kick similar to radish sprouts. )

As Higa learned more about gardening, her focus became less about saving money and more about being self-sustainable when it comes

In addition to her ongoing harvest, Higa has reaped a different and unexpected benefit from her gardening hobby: a gardening mentor.

(Above) Higa’s hydroponics system grows a variety of lettuces. (Facing page) Senior Kate Higa shows off her latest harvest— including kale, eggplant, bell peppers, and snap peas. Photographs by Justin Mayeshiro (‘22).

Higa’s homegrown salad includes green bell peppers, lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. Photograph by Samantha Sebastian (‘22)

With their homegrown vegetables, Higa’s family has made an assortment of dishes. Higa’s mom uses their garden’s eggplants in stir-fries, the bell peppers in a tomato beef dish, and the daikon in soup and as a garnish for teppanyaki sauce. While Higa uses her rosemary leaves to season steak and frequently chops up green onion and mizuna for her ramen, she admits that she does not consume much of her produce. Instead, she gets most of her satisfaction from the “thrill of the harvest” and from giving her produce away to friends and family. She gifted a friend with chili peppers, which he used to make Hawaiian chili pepper water.

As her family started to use the produce she grew, she noticed significant differences between produce from the supermarket and from her backyard. After a month in the fridge, her daikon remained fresh and edible. Store-bought daikons, however, only lasted two weeks or less. Since she can control what goes into the ground in her garden, Higa believes her [produce] tastes better and are more nutritious. There are some instances where a trip to the supermarket is required, such as when cucumbers for her salad aren’t ready for harvest. However, because she is now growing a variety of vegetables, including zucchini, lettuce, herbs, and peppers, her grocery shopping list has gotten shorter. With a hydroponics system she installed during the start of 2021, the family’s grocery cart has never carried a head of lettuce ever since.

Higa and Uncle Matsu, her gardening mentor. Photograph by Samantha Sebastian (‘22)

Uncle Matsu, an old family friend she got reacquainted with around the time she started to garden, has provided Higa with many gardening tips. To Higa’s surprise and benefit, he lives five minutes from her house, making it easy for her to see him every Saturday to learn about gardening. From seed germination to plant variance, Uncle Matsu shared his knowledge with Higa. He also helped her build a hydroponics system and a trellis for her trailing plants. “He is more like a family member; but the fact is, we only met less than a year ago,” Higa said. With Uncle Matsu’s guidance and a year of experience behind her, Higa is no longer the amatuer gardener. In fact, she is now helping several of her friends with their gardening endeavors. Higa has a few tips for aspiring gardeners:

Next, expenses come into the picture, as those starting out must be willing to invest money and learn how to improvise with methods that not only fit the budget but also benefit the gardening process. To reduce the cost of soil, Higa learned how to make her own gardening soil mix at a cheaper price by mixing perlite and peat moss with the soil in her yard. Also, she points out that gardeners must learn about plants diseases, which may require specific treatments or tools to reduce the risk of spread. So while the receipt at Home Depot may show intimidating numbers during the start-up phase, Higa believes that the long-term benefits will eventually outweigh the costs. Available space is another important consideration. Those who have some yard space can grow trellis plants or ground-covers, while those who only have access to a balcony should focus on compact plants such as bush beans and tomatoes. If space is limited, she doesn’t recommend growing mint or oregano as those herbs tend to sprawl out and cover a lot of ground.

“[Uncle Matsu] is more like a family member; but the the fact is, we only met less than a year ago!”

First, start off small, which includes keeping expectations at a minimum. Fledgling gardeners should be open to making mistakes. Looking back, she said, “I had no clue about gardening. I thought you just stick a seed [in the ground] and it grows into what you want. I didn’t know anything about how things grew, or anything.” Even with her success, Higa doesn’t believe that she has a green thumb and jokes about having a black one. “Most people don’t just wake up and say, ‘I’m a gardener and I know exactly what to do;’ [gardening] takes a lot of time and research. Research and know what you want, and don’t expect too much from the first time you grow,” she said.

It is also important to consider what one enjoys eating. Those who enjoy salads can start with easy growers like kale and lettuce. While Higa constantly experiments with new plants, she makes sure to grow what her family regularly eats, keeping a consistent lettuce supply for salads. So rather than grow exotic vegetables, gardeners should first grow what they want to eat.

“[Gardening] takes a lot of time and research. Research and know what you want, and don’t expect too much from the first time you grow.” Once the essentials are obtained, aspiring gardeners must be willing to dedicate time to their plants. Successful gardeners nurture their garden with utmost attention. Despite attending school and working part-time at HBA’s elementary school, Higa rarely slacks off in her gardening routine. In the mornings, she spends around 10 minutes checking on her plants, especially on ones that require hand pollination. Then when she returns home, she waters her plants. On weekends, she works on more time-consuming tasks such as transplanting or harvesting, which may take up to at least an hour. Higa says that she is careful not to get too ambitious as she also wants to leave time for other interests, so she suggests gardeners don’t plant more than they have time to maintain.

to want a garden. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, look at my garden, so good!’ and then water it once a week.”

So what’s in store for this master gardener? Higa plans to cross off growing corn on her bucket list as well as pumpkins and melons. Also, she’s currently trying to cultivate papaya trees. Unfortunately, she pointed out that she may say goodbye to her garden once she leaves for college, possibly passing the baton, or in this case the gardening hoe, to her family. Looking back at the time and energy she has dedicated to her garden in the past year, Higa said, “Gardening is a great way to learn and appreciate more food because I get the freshest quality of produce. Because I was able to share with people and produce a lot, my expectation has been raised for food standards. The supermarket Lastly, she considers energy to be the most important factor in only gives one type of variety: what [the consumer] expects rather gardening, both physically and mentally. While some gardening chores than what may be better. [So] the thrill of the harvest makes it worth are relaxing—like transplanting or watering—there is a lot of hard it, because when what I’m growing in my backyard is better than what labor involved. Weeding, tilling the soil, carrying soil bags—the list the grocery store can serve, I have that ‘I’ve made it!’ moment.” of tough jobs can go on. Higa cautioned, “You have to be motivated

(Above, left) Higa harvests bittermelon from her trellis. (Above, right) She checks the plants in her raised bed for aphids and rot. (Left) Higa harvests carrots. Photographs by Justin Mayeshiro (‘22).

KIMCHI FRIED RICE RECIPE

Adapted from Emi Wada’s grandmother’s recipe

-----------------------------------------Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Serves: 3 generously ----------------------------------------Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 eggs 2 cloves minced garlic 1/2 cup chives, chopped 1 cup bunashimeji (or any mushroom) 2 cups kimchi 3 cups cooked rice 1 cup bean sprouts 1-2 tbsp oyster sauce 4-5 tbsp gochujang

• • • • • • • • • •

Directions:

(Top) Senior Emi Wada’s kimchi fried rice is topped with a extra serving of kimchi and greens along with a side of chicken to create a flavorful, fulfilling meal. Photograph courtesy of Emi Wada.

1. Heat oil in non-stick pan till shimmery. 2. Add eggs and scramble until just almost done. Set aside. 2. In the same pan, sauté garlic, chives, mushrooms, and kimchi till vegetables are tender. 3. Add in rice, bean sprouts and cooked eggs. 4. Add in oyster sauce and gochujang. Stir to combine. 5. Done!

FOOD FOR THE BODY & SOUL → By Joni Ruan (‘22) FEATURE

The term comfort food first appeared in a newspaper lifestyle section published around the 70s. As the phrase “comfort food” became popularized, the range of foods that people classified as comfort food expanded beyond starchy potatoes. As stated by the Oxford dictionary, comfort food is now defined as, “food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.” This seems to be the case for teachers and students at HBA: many find unhealthy options more consoling than healthier choices. Math teacher Terrence Li craves the popular local snack of popcorn with mochi crunch, topped with furikake. Senior Rachel Harris seeks out sugary, rich and moist cakes when in need of comfort food. In

the survey sent out to high school students at HBA where a total of 158 people responded, desserts, fast food, and foods high in carbohydrates are a few of the most popular types of comfort food. Particularly, frozen desserts (14.6%) and ramen noodles (15.8%) are high in demand among the 158 students. Not only do comfort foods satisfy one physically, they also bring psychological relief. The survey found that most students tend to stress eat and consume comfort food to boost their moods. Especially after a demanding day at school, a cup of ramen or a big scoop of ice cream becomes especially attractive to students as it satisfies hunger and relieves stress.

TOP REASONS FOR WHEN STUDENTS NEED COMFORT FOOD 1. Stressed 2. Sad 3. Happy Soup/Chowder 9.5% Sushi 5.7% Snacks 1.9% Ramen/Noodles 15.8% Fast Food 12.7% Pasta 7.0%

Baked Goods 7.0% Sweets 5.1% Brunch Foods 10.1% Frozen Dessert 14.6% Other 10.8%

The Eagle Eye polled HBA high school students on their comfort food preferences. A total of 158 students responded. Graphic by Joni Ruan (‘22).

EATING OUT WITH FRIENDS 9

→ By Dylan Okamura (‘24)

FEATURE

“I enjoy eating at any restaurant that is usually loud so you can talk about whatever you want without it being too awkward, and someplace with energy already helps the conversation along. For food choices, I would usually just go with the flow and get whatever someone in the group wants.” Brandon Aoki (‘24)

“I think that eating with my friends is more enjoyable because while you enjoy their company, the food automatically tastes better since you’re in a good mood. Also (pre-COVID), you can share food and get a better variety with others.” Arielle Cook (‘23)

“Even though they’re kinda ratty, I enjoy food courts selection because you don’t have to quarrel with your friends trying to agree on one place to eat. The lively environment is nice too.” Ellie Pelesky (‘24)

“Eating with others helps me socially because I feel more open to share my feelings during our meal. Also, getting things off my mind is easier when I am with the people who I know will listen and care for me.” Skye Yonehara (‘23)

“Eating with others make me feel happier and helps me relieve of stress from school work and tests. It’s a good time to catch up on things and check on each other to see how we are doing. I enojoy socializing and it definitely improves my communication skills, as well as keep my mind at ease. Also, eating with others helps my brain sort school work and homework to the side which helps it relax and recharge.“ Hannah Morse (‘24)

Kaitlyn Maruya (‘24)

“Eating with my friends is more enjoyable because I can talk and we enjoy each other’s company. Also being together helps us make more memories.” Terra Kawamoto (‘24)

“Eating with my friends helps me socially because I get to spend time with them which expands my social skills. I think while eating with other people you can have deeper conversations that you usually won’t have, since you get a solid hour or so to spend quality time with others. These experiences, especially, help me grow socially, which then positively affects me emotionally and mentally.” Amanda Sato (‘22)

“I enjoy eating with my friends because it provides a more fun, interactive experience than a normal meal setting provides.”

A CHEF, A BAKER, AND A BARISTA

→ By Noah Hu (‘23) FEATURE

(Left to right) Senior Andy Siu serves up watercress chicken soup and stir fried pork with mushrooms; Cupcakes are one of junior Arielle Cook’s favorite things to bake; Junior Cori Matsumoto pours coffee into a glass for an Instagram video.

One of the many new responsibilities students will face as they head to college is cooking for themselves. Some students at HBA have given themselves a headstart by spending their free time in the kitchen pursuing culinary hobbies. Senior Andy Siu grew up eating Chinese food with his family. Because of this, he learned how to cook a variety of Asian dishes with his dad, who owns a food truck. Throughout the week he enjoys helping his dad with dinner and cooking breakfast for his brother. Cooking with his dad strengthens their relationship as it is something they both enjoy doing. One of Siu’s favorite dishes to make with his dad is Korean beef bulgogi. The recipe calls for 1 lb. of ground beef, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 medium sized onion, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, plum extract/apricot jam, black pepper, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Siu adds, “After mixing the meat and the other ingredients together, cook it on a pan until the meat is sizzling, rather than bubbling because that’s when the water from the meat has evaporated and the fat has begun crisping the beef.” Siu enjoys the independence of being able to cook for himself. “Cooking for myself is huge for me because my parents don’t want me [to move] out, so it shows that I can care for myself without my parents’ influence. The first thing my parents care about is my health and so if I can cook for myself, I am showing them I can take care of myself,” he said.

Andy Siu prepares dinner for his family together with his dad. Photograph courtesy of Siu.

A photo from a few years ago, showing junior Arielle Cook (left) with one of the first cakes she baked. Photograph courtesy of Cook. One of junior Arielle Cook’s favorite hobbies is baking. Some of her favorite confections include chocolate chip cookies, mocha buttercream cupcakes, and brownies. Cook says baking helps her relax, and in the most stressful times, she turns to the kitchen several times a week. For those who want to learn how to bake, a simple baking project is elevating cake mix. “All that the recipe requires is to replace the water with dairy, add an egg to enrich the cake, and mix in fruit extracts or zest to give the cake a more unique flavor,” she said. Matsumoto post pictures and videos of her homemade drinks to her Instagram account. Junior Cori Matsumoto’s favorite thing to make are drinks. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are her passion; she even made an Instagram account devoted to videos of her creating various drinks over the pandemic. Matsumoto hasn’t always been a fan of coffee but all the time spent at home during the pandemic turned her into a coffee connoisseur. Matsumoto was inspired to create an Instagram account for her drinks after seeing a lot of home cafe videos on her Instagram feed. Now, several months since creating the account, Matsumoto tries to post at least once a week, creating new drinks along the way. “My favorite easy go-to recipe is probably whipped coffee, where you whip equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water, then just pour it over milk.” Some of her other favorite flavors include matcha, fruit smoothies, and boba. But Matsusmoto has gotten more out of drinking coffee than just a new Instagram account. Her mom also enjoys drinking coffee, and it was her mom who first introduced her to coffee during the stay-at-home months. Coffee-making and drinking it together has inadvertently become a bonding experience for the two. “We usually drink coffee and eat breakfast together, which is really nice and we have really good conversations. She’s always been my biggest supporter in everything I do so these conversations really helped me through the pandemic and other things happening in my life,” Matsumoto said.

Junior Cori Matsumoto enjoys a morning coffee with her mother. Photograph courtesy of Matsumoto.

Cook hasn’t always had success in baking though. One of her baking failures happened when she and her friend, like many novice bakers, mixed up baking soda with baking powder, completely ruining the cookies they were trying to bake. Cook offers this advice: “Keep trying, be creative, and have fun! If you have failed attempts at baking, my only suggestion is to keep trying... because eventually it’ll taste delicious!”

In Search of The Best Ramen → By Annie Tasaka (‘22) FEATURE

Tonkotsu, shio, miso. These are flavors of some of the most popular ramen broths. In Hawaii, these traditional broths have many variations and ramen fans have no shortage of ramen—restaurant-made, instant or homemade—to choose from. The Eagle Eye asked two Japanese teachers and a handful of students about their favorite ramen and what the dish means to them.

Manichi Ramen and Menya le Nood came up as popular recommendations, but Japanese teacher Elena Yoo has a different pick. She writes “Onoya Ramen in Kapahulu is by far the best. Their noodles, soup flavor and side dishes, such as gyoza, are so authentic and delicious. The chefs are all trained in Japan and bring their authentic flavors to the menu. I’m sorry, no offence, but the worst restaurant is the Ramen-ya. I don’t consider their food as Japanese food. For me, it’s just local food. If you go to certain ramen restaurants, like Onoya, the quality is as good as the ones in Japan. But, like I said, if you go to the restaurants where the chefs were not trained in Japan, the ramen soup contains weird flavors like sesame seed oil, etc. That’s a big no, no. They just don’t understand the deep culture of the ramen.”

Contrary to popular belief, Japan cannot take all the credit for the delicious ramen people enjoy today. According to Ramen Culture, the dish was brought to Japan in the 1860s by Chinese immigrants who settled in Nankin-machi (Chinatown) in Yokohama. The dish grew in popularity among the Japanese and was called Nankin Soba. In 1910, a ramen shop opened in Tokyo. The Nankin-machi chefs served Shina soba (Nankin Soba) with chashu and mena shoots. Another shop opened in Hokkaido in 1921. The chefs would shout “hao le” in Chinese, announcing that a dish was “done” or “completed.” To the Japanese, “le” sounded like “ra;” they added “men” which means noodles. Thus “ra-men” was born. What makes ramen good? Japanese teacher Hisaaki Shimizu writes, “It keeps me warm both physically and emotionally. I like the variety of soups that each ramen offers. You can choose from standard shoyu ramen, to miso ramen, tonkotsu ramen, spicy tantan men etc. When I was a student, I always cooked ramen myself and ate it, or went to my favorite ramen shop with my friends and ate it together as we talk stories. It brings back memories of those days.”

Junior Aaron Murai tells Eagle Eye staff, “It’s just a variety of flavors; you can really put whatever you want in it. Usually it has a salty savory flavor but it can also have a sweet and spicy flavor.” While some people enjoy the complexity of the different flavors combined with different toppings, others prefer simpler flavors. Senior Noah Shiira writes “I like how ramen tastes because it’s filling and I like eating succulent meat.” Junior Jacie Sakaino writes, “I like good broth and extra meat. I also like corn in ramen [and] thinner noodles that are a bit firmer, but not super firm. Ramen is something my family eats when it’s cold outside, and it kinda signifies winter coming in our home.” Similarly, senior Victoria Luk writes, “Ramen just ended up becoming my favorite food because of the convenience and the taste. When I think back on when I first started eating and liking ramen, I feel such nostalgia because it’s always been my favorite/comfort food.” How does local ramen compare to ramen in Japan? Shimizu writes, “I remember when I ate at Shiro’s Saimin for the first time. It was in the mid ‘80s. I visited my relatives here and my cousin took me there. That was definitely an interesting experience for me being a Japanese college student who had never seen saimin before. I don’t normally see tamagoyaki (omelette) topping in Japan. Japanese ramen has boiled egg instead. Char siu was different. Hawaiian saimin uses Chinese pork char siu which is barbecue pork with sweet sauce, but Japanese char siu is usually a pork belly cooked in shoyu soup. I did see naruto fish cake in Japan sometimes, but it seems naruto is one of the regular toppings in Hawaii. Green veggies are also different. In Japan they put bean sprouts. Dipping shoyu mustard and eating saimin was totally new to me, but I tried and liked it.”

“I think the ramen in Hawaii is as good as those in Japan. I believe everybody loves ramen here from the young to the old. I see so many kinds of ramen packages at supermarkets, and if you want to cook those restaurant style ramen at home, you actually can. Sun Noodle

Shimizu’s family owns a Sichuan restaurant in Japan called Nagoya. Shimizu says his brother is an awesome chef, but his mom makes the most popular item: spicy ramen. Luk, however, points out that the Japanese shops win on presentation. “I’m not sure what exactly it is, but Japanese ramen is very visually pleasing in comparison to ramen in Hawaii. Also, in some Japanese ramen shops they have a border/wall between the customers and the kitchen area. It’s very fun to be able to watch your food being made, especially because the workers tend to be so precise and well trained in making a bowl of ramen. Overall Japanese ramen is better than Hawaii ramen,” she said. Ramen’s popularity here also means that friends can often enjoy ramen together. Shiira writes, “Ramen tastes good, and a lot of my friends also like ramen, so it’s a good staple choice of food when hanging out with people.” Ramen’s popularity is in part due to it’s ability to be an instant but satisfying meal. Yoo explains, “Although I like going out to eat for a genuine ramen experience, I’m also a big fan of instant ramen. Sometimes, I crave instant ramen (not cup noodles) with a bunch of veggies and poached eggs during the chilly days. During college, on many nights I cooked instant ramen with my roommates with one of those cheap rice cookers. [It] was one of the most memorable moments in college. We didn’t have pizza delivery back in the day.” Luk too has a favorite ramen memory from childhood. “When I was much younger,” she said, “my mom would often make me and my sister ramen (the packaged instant shin ramen) because it tasted good and it was convenient, so it just ended up becoming my favorite food.” Murai, too, enjoys ramen as a comfort food. “Whether it be instant noodles, cooked noodles, or ramen at a restaurant, it’s a very comforting food. It has pretty much been in my life forever. Just noodles in soup. It’s something that you can always go back to.”

(Above) Sun Noodle’s ramen with teriyaki pork. (Facing page) Junpuu’s spicy tonkotsu ramen. Junpuu is located on S. King Street. Photographs by Annie Tasaka (‘22).

Shimizu lists some typical Japanese toppings: moyashi (bean sprouts), nori (dried seaweed), wakame (seaweed), boiled egg (or poached), char siu pork, shinachiku (chinese bamboo shoots), and chopped green onion. “Sometimes you see corn, butter and sauteed shredded cabbage for miso ramen, sesame seed and red shredded ginger for tonkotsu ramen,” he added.

sells the noodle and soup base package. I cook them and put whatever toppings I like to garnish it,” he says.

You Can Always Celebrate with Andagi → By Skylar Takeuchi (‘23) BLOG

Andagi, a sweet donut-like dessert originating from Okinawa, is a very popular treat in Hawaii. The Okinawan community here on the islands just celebrated their second annual virtual Okinawan Festival via YouTube in September, with more than a thousand people from all over the world in attendance. Even though attendees were not able to purchase freshly cooked andagi like they used to do at the in-person festivals, many of them, like my family, celebrated their Okinawan heritage by making andagi at home. Andagi holds a special place in every Okinawan’s heart and in my family, where my mother’s side is Okinawan, the andagi is always on the table for any special celebration.

THE KANESHIRO’S ANDAGI RECIPE

サーターアンダギー (Sata Andagi), or as Hawaii locals call it, andagi, is said to have originated in China. It was introduced to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa and eventually brought to Hawaii by Okinawan immigrants. As the Okinawan community grew, they formed clubs to celebrate their culture and to keep traditions alive. In 1951, the Hawaii Okinawan Rengo Kai was founded to represent the Okinawan clubs in the state of Hawaii. This became known as the Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA), which held the state’s first Okinawan Festival in 1982 at the McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Park to showcase and celebrate Okinawan culture.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup raw sugar • ½ cup of granulated sugar • 4 tsp baking powder • ½ tsp salt • 3 large Eggs • 1 cup milk or cream • 1 tsp vanilla extract

A popular feature at this annual festival was freshly made andagi. Former President Bill Clinton, while traveling to Hawaii to celebrate the 50th anniversary of World War II in 1995, visited the Okinawan Festival and became a fan of the andagi. In a 2005 Honolulu Star Bulletin article, a man named Uncle Robert described his experience of Clinton at the Okinawan Festival, saying, “President Clinton came to the festival and stopped by the andagi booths...He ate plenty, came back, ate plenty more. Next day, Secret Service came and scooped up even plenty more.”

DIRECTIONS 1. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. 2. In a separate bowl, crack and beat the eggs. 3. Add milk and vanilla to eggs and mix well. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. 5. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are thoroughly combined but don’t overmix. (You’ve overmixed if the batter is smooth.) 6. Heat enough vegetable oil in a pot for deepfrying and maintain the temperature between 325-330°F. 7. When the oil comes to temperature, with your hand, pick up a decent amount of batter that won’t fall out of your hands and slowly drop balls the size of your liking into the oil. Be careful to not splash oil on yourself. 8. Fry until the outside of each ball becomes golden brown. You can also check the doneness by using a skewer or toothpick and poking it into the andagi and pulling it out. The toothpick should not have wet batter on it. 9. Place cooked andagi on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 10. Enjoy it when it’s warm!

Over the years, the andagi batter has been adapted in many ways. At the Okinawan Festival, a popular item is the “andadog,” an Okinawan version of the American corndog, made with andagi batter. Another well-known variation is the cinnamon-sugar andagi. I don’t remember the first time I ate andagi but my parents tell me that I’ve enjoyed andagi since I was a young child. As far back as I can remember, at every Okinawan Festival, my parents and cousins would buy dozens of andagi for me and my other cousins to enjoy. Although festival-bought andagi is not going to be available any time soon with the pandemic, I’m fortunate that my grandma makes her own andagi and has shared her recipe with my mom. Grandma’s andagi plays a recurring role in my family during special occasions, including Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. It’s great as a side dish, dessert or a late night snack. And the secret (which isn’t really a secret anymore) is to eat andagi when it’s warm. Whether it’s the cake-like center or the crispy outer layer, the andagi’s flavor and texture makes you want to go back for more. And since you can’t get them at the Okinawan Festival, here is my family’s recipe so you can make your own at home. Enjoy!

(Top left) Andagi should be fried until they turn golden brown. (Top right) The inside of a fully-cooked andagi. (Above, left) My mom, Cheryl Kaneshiro, mixes the wet and dry ingredients by hand. (Left) Mix until ingredients are combined but still lumpy. A smooth batter means it has been overmixed. (Above, right) My mom drops andagi batter into a pot of hot oil, forming the andagi’s spherical shape with the her hand.

The Sweet Appeal of Boba → By Taumafai Steffany (‘24) FEATURE

(Left) Taro milk tea boba from The Alley at Ala Moana Center. (Above, left to right) Sophomores Taylor Malinger, Hannah Cheng and Riley Lorenzo enjoy an outing to Mr. Tea.

Boba is a popular dessert drink, containing tapioca pearls and, often, milk tea, that originated from Taiwan. Making its way to America in the 1980s, boba didn’t become popular till the late 2000s when social media made it popular. Today, a search on Yelp for boba on Oahu results in over 300 shops that sell bubble tea.

I won’t like it. There’s a bunch of places that worry more about the pearls than the drink itself.”

In a 2017 New York Times article on the boba drink’s rising popularity, the Tea Association of America reports that 87 percent of American millennials drink tea. This statistic might explain why boba has grown in popularity in that age group. According to the same article, many boba tea companies opened shops near colleges and universities, Boba doesn’t always come in the form of tea any more. The drink can “hoping that the Asian students would introduce the drink to their be just about anything—tea, coffee, or a juice blend. However, the non-Asian friends; and it worked.” one constant is the tapioca pearls. The chewy soft sweetness of the tapioca pearls is what defines a boba drink. There are also different More recently, the New York Times, in an April 2021 article, reported flavors of tapioca pearls: black sugared, brown sugared, popping, and on the shortage of tapioca pearls in an article titled, “Another Unlikely Pandemic Shortage: Boba Tea.” In interviews, boba tea owners expressed fruit flavored, just to name a few. concern about not being able to keep up with the high demand for There are many boba fans at HBA and these fans usually have a go-to boba given pandemic-driven shipping delays. order. Sophomore Hannah Cheng’s favorite is “brown sugar milk tea (50% sweetness) with large boba.” Cheng says, “The tea has to be Here in Hawaii, it seems the boba shortage hasn’t made an good, not like watered down and the boba has to be soft and chewy, impact. At HBA, the Boba Club, run by seniors Hayley Taka, Zoe Lorica and Emi Wada, plans to continue serving up not too mushy or too hard.” boba to its members. The club’s goal is “to spread the Classmate and good friend Taylor Malinger says her favorite drinks must love and joy of boba to others” and “to build fellowship have “good boba consistency and the sweetness has to be below 50% between students.” These seniors believe that drinking or it’s just gross. [And] the boba has to also match the drink flavor.” boba is a way to de-stress, treat themselves, or enjoy a delicious beverage. Senior Regina Kahanu-Rogers believes the quality of the drink itself (minus the boba) is just as important. “I like a classic Jasmine milk tea with mini boba,” she said. “The drink itself has to be milk tea or

Fitness and Nutrition: How We Stay Healthy → By Jeremiah Seng (‘23) FEATURE

Physical fitness is something that most people would love to get into, but very few actually succeed at. This applies to both exercise and healthy eating habits. It can often be hard to discern what truly works and what doesn’t. There are many methods that promise the world, yet can sometimes do more harm than good. With that in mind, the Eagle Eye checked in with some students to see what they are doing to stay healthy. Athletes understand that in addition to physical fitness, food can impact one’s performance. Regarding his eating habits, Senior Connor Malinger, a varsity cross country runner said, “I try to eat as little sugar and processed food as possible. And I need a lot of carbs to keep up with my running. I also try to get in as much protein as possible.” He added, “Since I started cutting sugar and trying not to eat things that are high in fat or super processed, I felt better.” Fellow cross country runner junior Jordy Davenport also feels it’s important to have a disciplined diet. “I’m sort of health conscious,” she said. “I don’t really like eating fast food, like McDonald’s, a lot. But I do really like ice cream and chocolate. Mostly I try to eat healthy, but there are some times when I like to treat myself to junk food.” For many people, carbohydrates are seen as something to be avoided for fear of gaining weight. However, carbohydrates are an essential part of a person’s diet, whether they are athletes or not. They are the main provider of energy in a person’s diet, which is especially important for athletes. Carbohydrates from food are stored in the body as muscle and liver glycogen, which is used as fuel during exercise. Storing up an adequate amount of that fuel is crucial for someone participating in an endurance sport. “Sometimes before a race,” says Davenport, “I carbo-load the night before by eating pasta or something similar with a lot of carbs. It helps you feel energized [by providing] good energy before [a race].” For someone who is not into fitness activities, eating well mostly means avoiding unhealthy foods and making sure to eat a

good amount of nutritious foods. Junior Timothy Shimizu writes, “When it comes to food, I eat pretty much whatever I want, but all while knowing what I’m putting in my body so that I can balance it throughout the day. I’m not that health conscious. Honestly the only ‘restriction’ I would have on my diet is to eat a good amount of vegetables each day. But I enjoy how my parents cook vegetables anyway so I usually don’t have to worry about it.” The challenges of a healthy lifestyle are familiar to most people. From not knowing how to cook, having easy access to junk food in the pantry, to lacking selfdiscipline, the challenges of a maintaining a healthy diet are familar to most people. For Shimizu, lack of time is the main problem. “The challenge for living a healthy lifestyle for me has to do mostly with finding time to keep my fitness in check amidst drowning in [school] work,” he said. Additionally, emotional and mental health can also affect one’s wellbeing. “If I’m mentally fatigued, or if I’m having things that are bothering me outside of physical activity, I definitely see a decrease in the quality of my performance,” says Malinger. According to the National Institute on Aging, whose mission is to “[improve] the health, well-being, and independence of adults as they age,” a person should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, cut back on added sugars and saturated fats, as well as get 30 minutes of exercise on most or all days of the week. They also recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Most importantly, people should have a routine that is sustainable and enjoyable. Malinger says, “I mean, it’s not really to enhance performance necessarily, but just to feel better about what I eat and to eat healthier because it’s better for me.”

Photographs by Jeremiah Seng (‘23)