By Wendy Osher

File photo by Wendy Osher.

A taste education event taking place tonight celebrates Maui’s love affair with fresh fish and poke.

Presenter, Don Wakamatsu, of Whole Foods Market Maui, will explain how to select, clean, and cut whole fish and filets.  He will also make poke and offer samples.

Wakamatsu comes from a long-line of fishermen and fishmongers.  His family owned the old Wakamatsu Market, once located on Market Street in Wailuku.

The taste education series is a monthly event presented by Slow Food Maui that highlights locally grown food and culinary practices.  It is presented in coordination with Whole Foods Market and the Maui Culinary Academy at UHMC.

Today’s session runs from 6o to 7:30 p.m. at the Maui Culinary Academy in Kahului, and is sold out, however, future events are planned on raising poultry and catering on Maui.

The sessions are held on the last Wednesday of each month.

Upcoming events in the Taste Education Series include:

• Wednesday, September 28 – Retired Maui Culinary Academy Chef Instructor Bobby Santos returns to the classroom to share his knowledge of raising poultry chickens. Having grown up with livestock his parents and grandparents raised and prepared fresh, he continues this food tradition.
• Wednesday, October 26 – Ralph Giles and Daniel J Southmayd, owners of Catering From Soup to Nuts, walk everyone through planning the perfect dinner party. These catering experts provide practical advice from meal planning and cooking to table settings and hosting etiquette and more.

More information is available at slowfoodmaui.org.