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Culinary Services - Seattle, WA Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools Expanded Menu: a Cultural Bridge to Student Identity and Learning
Supply Chain Manager Semhar Kifle grew up eating Misir Wot, a popular Ethiopian and Eritrea dish that is eaten during religious fasting for Lent. The vegan dish is high in protein, mildly spicy, hearty, and rich. Kifle was inspired to include this dish on the school menu when she saw students bringing their own lunch during Lent. “The goal was for students that look like me to see a menu item that reflects what they eat at home and to give other students an opportunity to try a new menu item,” Kifle said. Much like Kifle, the decision to include Lugaw, a Filipino version of congee, at a district elementary school, was inspired by the school’s kitchen manager’s background and the elementary school’s large Asian population. “The kitchen manager wanted to offer something familiar to students while expanding the palate of other students,” said Supply Chain Manager Eva Yablonsky Smith. “She remembers growing up in Manila and her mom making the dish for breakfast.”
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Seattle Public Schools Culinary Services Director Aaron Smith hopes to educate and welcome students through their taste buds. While students are offered pizza, fries, salad, and other traditional school menu items, schools also are including options that reflect the district’s diverse population. “The goal is to incorporate culture in our meals and be more inclusive,” said Smith. “After months of community and student engagement and planning, the Culinary Services Department was able to make this a reality.” Students now have the opportunity to eat Misir Wot (lentil stew) and Lugaw (rice porridge). For some, this is a taste of home, and for others, it’s an exposure to something different. For staff, this is a labor of love.
While the expanded school menu serves as a cultural bridge to student identity and
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