Tammy Mahealani Smith, affectionately known as Aunty Tammy, is a Native Hawaiian chef and cultural practitioner. She is the heart behind KTER4U, one of Hawaiʻi Meals on Wheels commercial kitchen partners that prepares customized, medically tailored meals for our kūpuna. Aunty Tammy continues her family’s legacy through food – preparing meals for kūpuna, operating the cafeteria at Honolulu Community College, and catering community events.
Her experience spans decades of nourishing our communities, including serving as the dietary manager at Lunalilo Home. During the pandemic, Hawai’i Meals on Wheels asked for her help with preparing 1,000 frozen meals per week to reach kūpuna sheltering in place. With her can-do attitude and unwavering commitment to serve her community, she came through. With every meal, Aunty Tammy carries forward a deep kuleana to care for kūpuna and perpetuate Hawaiian food traditions.
We had to chance to talk story with Aunty Tammy while she was in Hilo preparing meals for a halau competing in the Merrie Monarch Festival.
How many meals does your kitchen prepare for Hawaiʻi Meals on Wheels?
”Right now, we’re doing about 500 frozen meals every Monday and 30 hot meals daily. We also run the cafeteria at Honolulu Community College and cater for different events. We’ve a very small family business doing really big things!
What makes traditional Hawaiian food so important for kūpuna health and wellbeing?
”Hawaiian food isn’t just food—it’s identity, genealogy, medicine. Kalo, ʻulu, ʻuala—these are our kūpuna crops or ancestral crops. They’ve fed us for generations, and they’re still here for a reason. When we serve kūpuna these foods, we’re honoring them and our past. It's not just a meal—it’s a reminder of who they are and where they come from.
Leaving those foods off the plate doesn’t sit right with me. As a kanaka, I feel a deep responsibility to serve what our kūpuna deserve. Food tells our history. Whether you know it or not, it connects you to your roots. That’s why I do this. My kuleana is to honor our kūpuna through every plate.
How do you balance cultural tradition with the dietary needs of kūpuna who have complex medical conditions?
”First, we have to understand who you're serving. Diabetes, low-sodium needs, soft diets—there’s so much to consider. For me, I’m very privileged to have my dad and to have conversations about this. I’ve also been blessed to work with amazing professionals like Dr. Claire Hughes, Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell, and nutritionist Sharon Ka'iulani Odom. We’ve worked together for years to develop ways to keep traditional foods on the menu while tailoring them for health needs.
I’ve had the privilege of working in a care home where we ask: How do we care for them? How do we honor them through food? How can I give them the best? I always say, “I might not know every kūpuna by face, but I know them by their plate.”
If a kūpuna can’t chew well, we adjust the texture. We’ve even learned how to make minced and puréed meals beautiful. If it’s a minced loco moco, you’ll still see the egg, the gravy, the meat—layered just right. It’s not about throwing everything in a blender. The work is not easy. This is all about passion. It’s about dignity and connection.
What are some of the challenges you face as a small kitchen partner?
”The reality is: food is expensive. Prices for everything—labor, gas, packaging—are going up. And yet, we’re committed to using as much fresh, local ingredients as we can. We pivot daily. No milk delivery? We figure it out. Meals are customized for each client, so nothing is mass produced. Every vegetable is hand-cut. Every bowl of poi or serving of ʻulu is handled with care. And when it comes to dietary needs, it’s not just about following rules—it’s about having conversations. Kūpuna deserve that diligence.
What meals are favorites among the kūpuna you serve?
”They like everything! We switch up the menu depending on what’s available. We ask ourselves: What is our aina giving us today? I might have gotten a call over the weekend about fresh fish at a good price. Shoots! Let’s take it. Sometimes we serve chicken hekka or a patele stew with ʻulu and kalo. We work on a six-week menu rotation, but we stay flexible. Our kūpuna are pretty understanding—if something doesn’t come in, they trust we’ll make something good.
Is there a family recipe or tradition you continue today?
”Everything I do represents my dad. He never followed a strict recipe—it was always, “What get and what you going to do with it?” That’s the philosophy I carry on. It’s not the secret recipes of Herbert Hoe. It’s the secret ingredient of his intelligence passed down to us.
Now, we’re five generations deep. My oldest granddaughter works with me and runs the deli and bags the clients’ meals. She can pretty much run parts of the business. Even the other kids and grandkids show up when we need them – even with school and jobs. There's a really big sense of kuleana.
Fish and poi is still my go-to, but when we’re serving our community, it’s about putting our best food forward.
What is most rewarding about being a Hawaiʻi Meals on Wheels kitchen partner?
”Being part of something bigger—honoring our kūpuna and making sure they’re never forgotten. My dream is for Hawai‘i Meals on Wheels to serve the whole state, to reach every community. Kūpuna are not going away. They’re forever. And if there’s a Michelle and a Tammy, this work is never going away either.
During COVID, we had to deliver 1,000 frozen meals by Monday—and we figured it out. Seven meals per person, labeled, routed. No excuses. That’s the kind of commitment we have. It’s never about how much we get paid. We’re 200% in it to win it. There’s no such thing as “no can.” We pivot, we problem-solve, we keep going—because kūpuna still need to eat.
I also love when the volunteers come to the kitchen to pick up meals. I prepare breakfast sandwiches for them. We talk story, figure things out together. We’ll make mistakes—we’re human—but we move forward. I always think of my parents, and I’m grateful they’re independent. But one day, they might not be. This service needs to be there—for them, for all of us. This isn’t about me or Michelle—it’s about honoring the ones who came before us and making sure no kūpuna is left behind.
Mahalo, Aunty Tammy, for your heart, your hustle, and your unwavering dedication to feeding Hawaiʻi’s kūpuna with cultural pride and culinary excellence.
