In partnership with the above organizations, we hold taste tests in Portland's school cafeterias. They are used to help guide menu development, introduce new flavors, and showcase local produce and products.
May 2023 Taste Test- Wild Blueberries
Ocean Ave. Elementary School
Ocean Ave. Voting Results
192 students voted I Loved it!
53 students thought "it was okay"
27 students said it was "not for me"
A poster about wild Maine blueberries!
Youth Programs staff from Cultivating Community helped out at the taste test.
VOTING!
Students choose between "I loved it!" "it was okay" and "not for me"
More materials to look at as kids waited in line for lunch.
Sorting lunch waste into the appropriate bins.
May 2023 Taste Test- Wild Blueberries
Rowe Elementary School
Rowe Voting Results
198 students voted I Loved it!
32 students thought "it was okay"
20 students said it was "not for me"
Sharing materials about wild blueberries and how they are different from high bush blueberries and native to Maine!
We highlighted the Passamaquoddy Wild Blue Berry Co. PPS Food Service purchases their wild blueberries throughout the year.
VOTING!
April and May 2023 Taste Test - Haddock Fish Sticks
Gerald E. Talbot Community School
Talbot Voting Results
134 students voted I Loved it!
48 students thought "it was okay"
41 students said it was "not for me"
Acadian Redfish
Ceramic flounders, scallop shell, nets and stickers!
Chatting about fish with Sophie from GMRI
Checking out a scallop shell with barnacles
Haddock (image from GMRI)
April and May 2023 Taste Test - Haddock Fish Sticks
Presumpscot Elementary School
Presumpscot Voting Results
124 students voted I Loved it!
26 students thought "it was okay"
19 students said it was "not for me"
Fish sticks baking along with the day's meal: chicken drumsticks!
Talking about haddock and the abundance of food in the Gulf of Maine.
Haddock (image from GMRI)
A slideshow played throughout lunch, highlighting different species of sustainable fish from the Gulf of Maine. There were also short videos about trawling, lobstering, alewives and more!
Voting!
Students overwhelmingly enjoyed the fish sticks! Many kids shared how their families prepare fish at home and what other types of fish they enjoy.
March 2023 Taste Test - Cheese Curds
March 2023 Taste Test - Cheese Curds
Lyseth School
Lyseth Voting Results
218 students voted I Loved it!
63 students thought "it was okay"
53 students said it was "not for me"
Kids remembered seeing the cheese curds in the chef salad the week prior.
Cheese curds were a welcome addition to the chicken tenders and vegan tenders served that day!
A student taking in the voting board before casting a vote.
Lyseth voting boards at Boyd St. Gardens
Longfellow School
Longfellow Voting Results
136 students voted I Loved it!
32 students thought "it was okay"
24 students said it was "not for me"
Look for cheese curds on the salad bar on March 16th!
Cheese curds are rich in protein, making them a great addition to school lunch!
Collecting Votes!
Longfellow students made it very clear that they approve of cheese curds!
We had fun talking with kids about the cheese making process and where curds are formed within that process.
February 2023 Taste Tests- Sweet Potato
East End Community School
East End Voting Results
155 students voted I Loved it!
49 students thought "it was okay"
46 students said it was "not for me"
East End's serving line looked extra special for Valentines Day!
We gave out FoodCorps Valentines while supplies lasted. During lunch kids were also making valentines to appreciate what they like about their school.
Educational materials about sweet potatoes as well as examples of other root vegetables like beet, turnip, yucca, and carrot.
Cafeteria lead, Heather, exploring some other root veggies with students.
Collecting votes
Quotes:
"We've eaten this in Angola! It tastes the same and I love it!"
"My mom makes this! She boils it with sugar"
Reiche Community School
Reiche Voting Results
160 students voted I Loved it!
50 students thought "it was okay"
45 students said it was "not for me"
Kids got to see some examples of root vegetables and see which ones they could name!
Students were surprised to see what a beautiful flower the sweet potato plant can produce.
We had extra sweet potato, so many kids got additional servings.
Can you name all of these root vegetables?
Voting!
Thank You Reiche School!
"My sister makes fries out of sweet potato." "I love it!"
"It was okay, but I'll give you some points because it was sweet."
"I like sweet potatoes in desserts."
January 2023 Taste Tests- Chicken and Kale Stew
Presumpscot Elementary School
Presumpscot Voting Results
63 students voted I Loved it!
22 students thought "it was okay"
29 students said it was "not for me"
Chatting about some of the ingredients in the stew: cumin, nutmeg, garlic!
Voting!
"It was really good!" "It's the best"
"I like it because I like chicken"
Thank You Presumpscot School!
Lyseth Elementary School
Lyesth Voting Results
129 students voted I Loved it!
51 students thought "it was okay"
41 students said it was "not for me"
Kids at Lyseth were very enthusiastic about trying this dish! We ran out of sampling cups but will be more prepared next time!
"I can't wait to see this on the menu!"
Thank You Lyseth School!
Rowe Elementary School
Rowe Voting Results
91 students voted I Loved it!
55 students thought "it was okay"
37 students said it was "not for me"
Some kids at first decline a sample, but later come up and ask for one. Thank you for your willingness to try something different, Rowe students!
Thank you Susanne for helping with the taste test and thank you Rosie, Maggie & Mark for welcoming us in the cafeteria!
"Too sweet." "I ate 7!"
"I'm not much of a vegetable person."
"It smells good."
"Too many flavors."
"It hits you with the kale, like, you are literally eating kale."
"I've been here since Kindergarten and this is the best meal I've had!"
Thank You Rowe School!
Longfellow Elementary School
Longfellow Voting Results
94 students voted I Loved it!
56 students thought "it was okay"
45 students said it was "not for me"
Some difficult circumstances almost halted the taste test. Thank you Nick, Liza, and Longfellow staff for making it happen!
"Stop eating the stickers!" - Lunch Aide
Thank You Longfellow School!
December 2022 Taste Tests- Chicken and Kale Stew
Ocean Ave. Elementary School
Ocean Ave. Voting Results
96 students voted I Loved it!
58 students thought "it was okay"
41 students said it was "not for me"
On the menu, the stew will be served with brown rice.
Students got to try a sample of Chicken and Kale Stew and then vote about how they feel about it.
“I loved this because it tasted like something new and something I had before”
“It tastes like what we eat for dinner”
“I have home lunch, but I’ll ask my parents if I can get school lunch on Thursday”
“This tastes like fufu and pondu” (a Congolese cassava leaf stew)
Thank You Ocean Ave Elementary School!
Gerald E. Talbot Community School
Talbot Voting Results
84 students voted I Loved it!
45 students thought "it was okay"
28 students said it was "not for me"
It can take multiple times of trying a new food for kids to enjoy it. Taste tests are a low-barrier way to experience a new food.
We always encourage honest feedback whether it's negative or positive.
We also ask kids to elaborate on their voting decision.
Many kids connected the stew to food they have at home.
East End Community School
East End Voting Results
106 students voted I Loved it!
64 students thought "it was okay"
33 students said it was "not for me"
The stew is tomato- based with flavors of cumin, nutmeg, garlic, and onion.
Some students came back for seconds, thirds and more! We made sure to let kids know that it will be on the school menu on Dec. 15th!
"It's not spicy and I loved it!" "I really like it, it's delicious!"
"My mom makes this!" "I am from Sudan and I loved it"
"Great! Sweet, lovely flavor"- staff member
A special thank you to all of the staff at East End for your enthusiasm and for encouraging kids to try it.
Thank You East End Community School!
Reiche Community School
Reiche Voting Results
118 students voted I Loved it!
55 students thought "it was okay"
35 students said it was "not for me"
The stew is tomato- based with flavors of cumin, nutmeg, garlic, and onion.
"Oh it's from Africa! That's why I love it so much. My family is from there"
"I'd give it an 8/10". "I love love love loved it!" "I ate 10!"
"My mom makes it with hot sauce".
"Can you make fufu to go with it? It's really not that hard. My mom is from Angola and this is similar to the chicken soup she makes sometimes."
This item will be on the menu on Dec 15th!
Thank You Reiche Community School!
November 2022 Taste Tests
139 students voted I Loved it!
47 students thought "it was okay"
25 students said it was "not for me"
Central Kitchen sourced kale from Green Meadow Farms in Mapleton, ME.
Kids got to check out some other veggies from the brassica family!
After everyone had the opportunity to try the coleslaw, we offered seconds. We had no coleslaw leftover!
99 students voted I Loved it!
61 students thought "it was okay"
65 students said it was "not for me"
Central Kitchen sourced kale from Two Farmers Farm in Scarborough.
Hello, My name is Mercia. I help run the taste test in the Portland Public Schools along with Food Fuels Learning VISTA, Zoe this year! Please scroll through this page to see all the awesome programming that is happening!
This May, high school students from Deering, Portland, and Casco Bay got to taste test a newly designed menu item at their school during lunch! Students enjoyed chicken and kale stew over rice.
In May students at Presumpscot & Lyseth elementary school tried Maine blueberries from Wyman's!
Students at Lyseth elementary school took votes on the blueberry muffin, check out how voting went!
Voting: 224 student voted I Loved It, 79 students voted It Was Okay, and 41 students voted Not For Me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
Students at Presumpscot elementary school took votes on the blueberry muffin, check out how voting went!
Voting: 97 student voted I Loved It, 21 students voted It Was Okay, and 32 students voted Not For Me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
This April, high school students from Deering, Portland, and Casco Bay got to taste test a newly designed menu item at their school during lunch!
The Portland Public Schools Food Service department, in partnership with local nonprofits and consultants, including Cultivating Community, FoodCorps, Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC), Good Shepherd Food Bank, Khadija Ahmed, Chef Samantha Cowens-Gasbarro and the University of Southern Maine (USM), is working to introduce culturally important menu items to the school lunch options served at the district’s high schools.
Students enjoyed stewed chickpeas, chicken and yellow rice repaired by high school lunch staff from all three PP high schools: Deering High School, Casco Bay High School, and Portland High School with the help of Khadija Ahmed & Chef Samantha Cowens-Gasbarro.
This March, high school students from Deering, Portland, and Casco Bay got to taste test a newly designed menu item at their school during lunch!
Students enjoyed smashed kidney beans, seasoned beef, and cabbage slaw, an eastern-central African dish derived from nations such as Sudan and South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Congo, among many others.
Check read these two posters to learn more about how this dinner was implemented and the project in general!
In March 16th students at Ocean Avenue elementary school and on March 31st students at Rowe elemantary school tried breaded fish from Red's Best!
Students at Rowe elementary school took votes on the bread fish, check out how voting went!
Voting: 173 student voted I Loved It, 43 students voted It Was Okay, and 26 students voted Not For Me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
Students at Ocean elementary school took votes on the bread fish, check out how voting went!
Voting: 123 student voted I Loved It, 40 students voted It Was Okay, and 12 students voted Not For Me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
In January students at Talbot elementary & East End Community school tried potatoes from Green Thumb Farm!
East End Community school student took votes on the potato. Voting: 174 said I Loved It, 55 said It was okay, and 35 said Not For Me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
Tablbot student took votes on the potato. Voting: 112 voted I Loved It, 42 voted It was okay, and 30 voted Not For Me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
In December students at Lyseth elementary school tried Winter Squash from Spear's Farm
Lyseth student took votes on the squash!
Students Voted: I loved it, it was okay, not for me during their taste test practice. Take a look at the graph below!
In November, Reiche elementary school tried cabbage from Leary Farm!
In October, Talbot Elementary School tried potatoes grown in their school garden by students!
In September, East End Community School tried tomatoes from Liberation farm. Learn more about Liberation Farm!