Hawaiian Foods

Hawaiian Foods

By: Mrs. Jackson

The Hawaiian Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean about 2,200 miles south and west of California, became out 50th state in 1959. There are eight separate islands whose total land area is only 6,419 square miles; just three states, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, are smaller.

The largest island is called Hawaii, followed by Maui; both of these islands have active volcanos, which attract many tourists. The third in area size, but the most densely populated is Oahu; Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach are all located on Oahu.

The Hawaiian Islands were actually pushed upward from the bottom of the Pacific by years of volcanic eruptions. The black volcanic rock was conditioned by sun, wind, rain and waves into fertile soil. Although they are in the tropic zone, they are not extremely hot, as they are cooled by ocean currents and trade winds. In fact, the temperatures in most areas hover in the mid-70s year-round, and the climate is so ideal that the native language had no word for weather.

Hawaii

IMU Underground oven

PuPu

[POO-poo]The Hawaiian term for any hot or cold appetizer, which can include a wide range of items such as macadamia nuts, chunks of fresh pineapple or coconut and barbecued meats.

Kimchee

kim" (nori seaweed). As life has become more hectic as people eat on the run, they even have cooked rice in the refrigerated section in lunch-size portions. Of course, you can find kimchee. But don't expect to find "kimuchee" (Japanese-style pickled kimchee) which is scorned. They only have the pre-packaged "kimchee" without preservatives.

Sashimi

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Taro

LauLau

The main dish that I'm used to eating is called a Lau-Lau (like Cow-Cow except with an L instead of a C).  As an aside, Cow-Cow (spelt Kau-Kau) means food in Hawaiian.

the ti leaves from a lau-lau the inside of a

lau-lau

POI

A bowl of Poi

Poi is made from mashing up Taro root.  I supposed you could say it's kind of like mashed potatoes.  It serves the same purpose as potatoes or rice in other cultures.  It's the filler, the starch, the blander thing you eat with other more spicy things.

Poi can be described as gray pudding.  Think of rice porridge like malt-o-meal or cream of wheat.  It's served cold or at room temp.  Real Hawaiians eat it with their fingers but you can eat it with a spoon. 

Pipikuala

Hawaiian-style beef jerky

Mahimahi[mah'hee mah'hee]

A white, sweet, moderately dense fish is Hawaii's most popular fish and the one that is most often exported to the mainland. 

Saimin

Saimin: (Sai rhymes with eye. Min as in minute) Basically the same as Top Ramen or Cup of Noodles.  I'm not sure of the exact different between saimin and ramen.  If I was to guess I'd say saimin noodles are thinner than ramen noodles but I really have no idea but you can get it everywhere including McDonalds.

Mango

mango     Equivalents:  The pulp from one large mango will yield one cup of purée.  Notes:   It's always a challenge to eat a mango.  The pulp clings desperately to both peel and seed, and it usually turns into a mushy mess by the time you free it.  Despite this, the mango is one of the most popular fruits in the world.  It's sweet and juicy, and it has a wonderful, distinctive flavor.  Select richly colored, firm mangoes, then let them ripen at home for a few days.  Frozen mangoes are good substitutes for fresh. 

Plantain plantain = cooking banana = look just like

large green bananas, and they're usually cooked before eating.  Hispanic and Caribbean use them like potatoes, either frying them or boiling them in stews.  Different recipes may call for plantains in varying stages of ripeness, with their skins either green, yellow, or black.  A green plantain will first turn yellow and then black if allowed to ripen at room temperature.  As it ripens, the pulp becomes sweeter and less starchy.  

Pineapple

pineapple  Notes:   Pineapples are juicy, mildly acidic, and very versatile.  They can be squeezed for juice, sliced on cakes, skewered and grilled, or eaten raw without adornment.  Select only ripe pineapples; they stop becoming sweeter once they're picked. A new variety, the golden pineapple, is sweeter, juicier, and richer in vitamin C than ordinary pineapples. A white pineapple also has been developed. 

Litchi

One of China's cherished fruits for over 2,000 years, the small (1 to 2 inches in diameter) litchi has a rough, bright red shell. The creamy white flesh is juicy, smooth and delicately sweet. It surrounds a single seed. Native to Southeast Asia, the litchi is cultivated in subtropical regions including California, Florida and Hawaii.

Breadfruit

Breadfruit-. Captain Bligh's goal had been to transport the seedlings from Tahiti to the Caribbean, so that slaves there would have a ready source of starch and calories.  Breadfruit is highly perishable, so fresh ones are hard to find outside the tropics. 

Coconut Palm Tree

Hibachi

Little Hibachi grills offer a great grilling solution for people who love the taste of charcoal grilled foods but either don’t have a lot of space or like to take their grill on the road. A good cast iron Hibachi can do about anything a full size grill can do except grill a lot of food. The advantage of a real fire, portable size, and hot direct cooking make them a popular type of grill.

Soy Sauce

soy sauce  Notes:  Soy sauce is made from soybeans that have been fermented and salted.  It's used throughout Asian, with different regions producing quite different variations.  Used in many Hawaiian Recipes.

Huli-Huli Sauce

huli-huli sauce  Notes:  This Hawaiian condiment is made with soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger juice, and other ingredients.  It's used to flavor meats.  

KAVA

Our “Original” Kava Tea is a mixture of Certified organic Kava root, stem and leaf along with organic ginger and lemon grass.

Coffee-3rd. Agricultural product.

Gourds

The Ipu (EE-poo) is a single gourd drum.

The Ipu Heke (EE-poo HEH-kay) is two gourds fitted together. Sizes range from 11" tall to over 26" tall.

Leis

When presenting leis, it is important to remember that a kiss on the cheek is appropriate and expected. It is also important to remember to avoid presenting ti-leaf leis to politicians since it believed that it is a bad omen. History and folklore also warns about presenting leis to pregnant women. It is believed that such a thing jeopardizes the health of the unborn baby.

Hawaii