A weeklong festival in South Kona is spotlighting ulu, or breadfruit, as both a cultural staple and a practical food source — good news for local farmers and chefs.

• The Ulu Hā Lea celebration brings farmers, chefs, and breadfruit experts to South Kona, the island's historic "Ulu Belt."
• Organizers are pitching ulu as a cheap, abundant crop that already grows in backyards across the islands and can feed a lot of people.
• The tree is easy to cook with — fries, mash, baked, or boiled — which supporters say makes it a realistic everyday food, not a novelty.
• Events include a global breadfruit summit plus a free public festival Saturday at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden.

Outlook: Expect continued pushes to grow ulu as a local food staple that cuts Hawaii's reliance on imported food.