Hawaii – A Food Lover’s Paradise
Hawaii is a food lover’s paradise, where people eat out a great deal,
and the choices can sometimes be great. Feel like some bacalhou, or
adobo, or maybe some tempura? Do you feel like having a malasada or
shave ice for dessert? If you’re confused, don’t be, because Hawaii
is a gastronomical melting pot where the Pacific meets Europe, with
a quick side trip to China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.
Hawaiian Regional Cuisine
In the past, there hasn't been much to talk about the Hawaiian cuisine.
Dining in the islands meant shipped-in foods from the continental United
States, sliced pineapple on a pizza, or island foods that were distorted
for Western tastes. However, within the last two decades, Hawaii has
experienced a culinary revolution and the birth of a new cuisine – the
Hawaii Regional Cuisine.
Today, island chefs use fresh local ingredients, such as island fish,
Asian herbs and flavorings and tropical fruit sauces and mix them together
in new, creative ways. The flavors of Hawaii are enhanced by spices,
such as ginger, lemongrass and fresh turmeric. The result is unique
gourmet dishes that have earned positive attention worldwide.
Casual Local Food
Besides these fine dining establishments, there is the more casual local
food, the food islanders eat on a daily basis that reflects Hawaii's
melting-pot society. The most famous dish among the locals is the plate
lunch, which consists of either some sort of fried fish, chicken or
teriyaki beef, rice, macaroni salad and brown gravy, served on a paper
plate. These lunches are available at many casual restaurants and beachside
stands. Also popular are roast pork, coconut milk or pudding and poi,
the taro root pounded into a purple paste.
In general, local food is high in calories and starch-heavy. Some of
the best island foods can be found in small, family-run neighborhood
restaurants that are mostly inexpensive and serve generous portions.
You'll find these places everywhere. Some can be in a small place in
the middle of Waikiki or in a small town on the other side of the island.
Others are no more than food trucks on the side of the road. There are
also many local farms that offer fresh produce and herbs. Chinatown
markets offer a wide array of spices and herbs, both fresh and dried
that can be purchased by the ounce.
Haupia, which means coconut in Hawaiian, is a favorite food of many
locals and is used in many ways, from the flesh to the milk. Coconut
juice is sold in cans and coconut milk is used to cook many things,
from curries to desserts. Haupia can be purchased fresh, frozen, in
cans and in powdered format. Haupia gelatin or pudding is on every buffet
menu and is found in donut fillings as well as in layer cakes.
Taro – An Important Island Staple
Ancient Hawaiians had a diet of fresh vegetables, such as taro, which
they cultivated, and fresh fish and other seafood that they caught along
the shore. Taro, a kind of yam is still cultivated today. The tuber
or yam part can be baked or steamed. It’s sometimes used as a flavoring
or used for the color, purple, especially in breads and cookies. It’s
also the ingredient to make poi, an island favorite. For this dish,
the taro is pounded to make a thick, light violet colored paste that
accompanies many plate lunches. The leafy section is used steamed, as
a green vegetable, or as a wrapping for meats and rice, steamed and
then baked.
Dining
in Hawaii
Dining in Hawaii can be quite adventurous. There are dozens of types
of delicious fish with alien names, from the ahi and the opakapaka,
to the mahi mahi and ulua. Many local fish are tender and tasty, such
as opakapaka and parrotfish and much sought after. Today fresh veggies,
fish and seafood still make up the diet of most locals.
The menu choices are unlimited and quite often Korean and Puerto Rican
items are on the same menu. There really is a Hawaiian Portuguese bean
soup and Vietnamese fish sauce can be found in many home pantries. There
are many local reef fish that can only be found Hawaii, and there are
also fruits, such as the mountain apple that are not found elsewhere.
Many locals have a favorite recipe for mountain apple jam.
As for island
agriculture,
vegetables thrive in Hawaii's lava-rich soil. A real treat are Hawaii-grown
fruits, such as sweet and flavorful mangos, papayas, lychee, lilikoi
(passion fruit), star fruit, guava and more varieties of pineapple and
banana than you ever knew existed. Furthermore, Hawaii has plenty of
island-raised meat. The Big Island of Hawaii is home to the largest
privately owned cattle ranch in the United States, raising more than
50,000 cattle.
The Luau – An Island Tradition
A great place to try local food is at a
luau,
a uniquely Hawaiian feast that celebrates life, good companionship and
most of all, great food. A luau, besides being a venue for good food,
includes singing and dancing and is traditionally held, since the day
of the Hawaiian Kingdom, to commemorate an important event, or to honor
the ancestors.
In the olden days, a luau could last for days. Now it lasts a few hours,
but the preparation can take many days - from digging the underground
oven, or imu, to making the laulau packages, which are meat, fish or
chicken and rice wrapped in taro leaves. Today in Hawaii, there are
private luaus to celebrate important family events, such as a baby’s
first birthday. Luaus are held for tourists and locals alike to rekindle
Hawaiian pride and to just have a good time. Many hotels offer a luau
once a week for just this purpose.
A Culinary Melting Pot
All the cultures that make up what Hawaii is today love food - and lots
of it. Every neighborhood has its favorites, some old and some new.
There are numerous ethnic groceries, so that products from the Philippines,
Taiwan and Korea are available here for all of us to try. Shopping for
food is an adventure in Hawaii. Do you like farmer’s markets? Almost
every day of the week, you can visit a farmer’s market in town, where
you’ll not only find fresh produce and hand-made items, but also local
goodies to eat on the spot. The vendors are friendly and will tell you
how to cook what you’ve just bought.
Because of Hawaii's large Asian
population
and proximity to Asia, oriental flavors probably have the greatest influence.
The wealth of Asian restaurants on the islands speaks for itself. But
overall, Hawaii has become a culinary mecca with foods from all over
the world.
The following is a little information on items mentioned in the article:
Bacalau is salted cod and is a treasured
dish from Puerto Rican and Philippine kitchens.
Adobo is chicken or pork in a spicy
vinegar marinade.
Tempura is lightly battered fried
fish, seafood and vegetables.
Malasadas are soft billowy-fried
Portuguese donuts.
Shave Ice is freshly “shaved” ice
that is flavored with sweet local syrups, such as lychee or passion
fruit.
Taro is tuber that is the mainstay
of the Hawaiian diet.
Opakapaka is a prized fish.
Lemongrass is a long grass-like
herb used to flavor meat and vegetables.
Ginger is used fresh and pickled
to accompany seafood or as an ingredient in cooking.
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