Hawaii food-travel series wins regional Emmy

An isle show centering on eggs and rice won a regional Emmy on Saturday at the 43rd Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards in San Francisco. Food-travel television series "Family Ingredients," the first-ever Hawaii production included on PBS’ national prime-time lineup, took the Lifestyle-Program/Special award for its pilot episode that profiled chef Alan Wong’s culinary roots.

Producers Heather Giugni, Daniel Nakasone and Renea Veneri Stewart spun a story of food, community and culture from Wong’s beloved childhood dish of tamago kake gohan, a Japanese comfort food of raw egg mixed with hot rice. The dish led to visits to food producers in Wong’s hometown of Wahiawa as well as a journey to Japan.

Ty Sanga directs and Todd Fink is the show’s cinematographer. Chef Ed Kenney of town restaurant hosts.

Giugni, whose Juniroa Productions produces the show, says the magic of the series is that it focuses on a specific community’s food while tapping the universal experience of having a beloved dish.

"Every community has its rituals, a family recipe they still gather around that’s part of everyday meals," she said.

The episode told the story of how Wong’s mother moved from Japan to the U.S. to afford her children better opportunities.

"I love this show because it’s not just about the ingredients to a recipe, but the ingredients to someone’s life," Giugni said.

Eight episodes are slated for the fall, including profiles of food and folks from Puerto Rico and Tahiti.