Before I show you the food, I want to make a quick note about the title which may sound redundant but is actually not. Hawaii consists of a hodgepodge of cultures from the immigrants who came to work on the plantations, so referring to people (and subsequently, culture or food) "Hawaiian" refers to the indigenous people, and "local" refers to other non-native peoples.
Hawaiian food
Kalua pork
Pork shoulder rubbed in salt and slow smoked, traditionally in a an "imu" or underground oven.
Lau lau
Pork roast wrapped in taro leaf, which tastes kind of like spinach
Poke
A raw fish salad with cubes of fish marinated in soy sauce and chili peppers
Poi
A Polynesian staple made by mashing cooked taro and adding water. It's definitely not my favorite, but you should try it anyway.
Haupia
A coconut geletin dessert, but can also refer to coconut filling in malasadas or McDonald's haupia pies :). There's a bakery on the North Shore that makes an AMAZING chocolate haupia pie, but unfortunately, I can't remember what it's called or where exactly it is.
Noni (aka, the Cheese Fruit)
I have no idea where this came from or where Chris found this, but it smells like a really strong cheese and doesn't taste much better.
Local food
Spam Masubi
You'll find a lot of spam in local cooking, thanks to its introduction by the US military during WWII. Spam masubi is a great (and cheap! ~$1.50) snack; we had many late-night runs to the 7-11 behind campus for these!
Manapua
Steamed buns, filled with roasted pork (叉燒包)，pork and vegetable (菜肉包）, curry chicken, or other fillings. You can buy these at 7-11 for about $1.
Malasadas
Portuguese donuts sprinkled in sugar that can also be filled with chocolate, haupia, custard, or seasonal fruit jellies. My favorite is the custard or the haupia, although if you're trying it for the first time, you should get a plain one. Malasadas are a must-have if you're ever in Hawaii, and they're one of the things I crave when I'm back to the mainland. Maybe one of these day's I'll get around to trying recipes for them...
Saimin
Soup noodles
Chili and rice
Self-explanatory, and a really popular meal. We made this for our homeless outreach at Ala Moana Park that I blogged about earlier.
Loco Moco
A hamburger patty over rice, topped with an egg and gravy. Local comfort food :)
Beef Teri
This is one of many "plate lunches" (meat, rice, and mac salad) that you can get at Zippy's or L&L Barbecue (local fast food chains, like McDonald's)
Boots and Kimo's Banana Pancakes with Macademia Nut Sauce
These are HANDS DOWN the best banana pancakes I've ever had in my life -- super soft, moist, and spongy with a sauce that's to die for. After I had these the first time 2 years ago, I couldn't bring myself to make banana pancakes for about 6 months afterward. This is not for the lactose intolerant, and unforunately, sometime in the last 2 years either the sauce has changed or I've developed an intolerance for it. Regardless, it's DELICIOUS!!!
Shave ice
This is not "shaved" ice; there is no "d" It's a cup or a cone of finely shaven ice then topped in syrup (choice of flavors). You can also add other toppings like ice cream, azuki beans (red beans), mochi, or condensed milk. Some favorite places are Waiola's, Tropicana's, Masumoto's, and Shimatsu, although you'll find that some people can get into heated debates about which one is the best shave ice place.
Dole Whip
Probably my favorite dessert; it's a frozen soft-serve made from pineapple. It's not exactly ice cream because the texture is more icy, but unfortunately for Jill (who's lactose intolerant), it is not dairy free. Look at how happy Mary is when she tried it for the first time!
Ice cream mochi
Ice cream wrapped in a glutinous rice-based dough of sorts; best at Bubbie's (which is about a 10-15 minute walk from our dorm....also a favorite hang out place for our team)
Kalua pork
Pork shoulder rubbed in salt and slow smoked, traditionally in a an "imu" or underground oven.
Lau lau
Pork roast wrapped in taro leaf, which tastes kind of like spinach
Poke
A raw fish salad with cubes of fish marinated in soy sauce and chili peppers
Poi
A Polynesian staple made by mashing cooked taro and adding water. It's definitely not my favorite, but you should try it anyway.
Haupia
A coconut geletin dessert, but can also refer to coconut filling in malasadas or McDonald's haupia pies :). There's a bakery on the North Shore that makes an AMAZING chocolate haupia pie, but unfortunately, I can't remember what it's called or where exactly it is.
Noni (aka, the Cheese Fruit)
I have no idea where this came from or where Chris found this, but it smells like a really strong cheese and doesn't taste much better.
Local food
Spam Masubi
You'll find a lot of spam in local cooking, thanks to its introduction by the US military during WWII. Spam masubi is a great (and cheap! ~$1.50) snack; we had many late-night runs to the 7-11 behind campus for these!
Manapua
Steamed buns, filled with roasted pork (叉燒包)，pork and vegetable (菜肉包）, curry chicken, or other fillings. You can buy these at 7-11 for about $1.
Malasadas
Portuguese donuts sprinkled in sugar that can also be filled with chocolate, haupia, custard, or seasonal fruit jellies. My favorite is the custard or the haupia, although if you're trying it for the first time, you should get a plain one. Malasadas are a must-have if you're ever in Hawaii, and they're one of the things I crave when I'm back to the mainland. Maybe one of these day's I'll get around to trying recipes for them...
Saimin
Soup noodles
Chili and rice
Self-explanatory, and a really popular meal. We made this for our homeless outreach at Ala Moana Park that I blogged about earlier.
Loco Moco
A hamburger patty over rice, topped with an egg and gravy. Local comfort food :)
Beef Teri
This is one of many "plate lunches" (meat, rice, and mac salad) that you can get at Zippy's or L&L Barbecue (local fast food chains, like McDonald's)
Boots and Kimo's Banana Pancakes with Macademia Nut Sauce
These are HANDS DOWN the best banana pancakes I've ever had in my life -- super soft, moist, and spongy with a sauce that's to die for. After I had these the first time 2 years ago, I couldn't bring myself to make banana pancakes for about 6 months afterward. This is not for the lactose intolerant, and unforunately, sometime in the last 2 years either the sauce has changed or I've developed an intolerance for it. Regardless, it's DELICIOUS!!!
Shave ice
This is not "shaved" ice; there is no "d" It's a cup or a cone of finely shaven ice then topped in syrup (choice of flavors). You can also add other toppings like ice cream, azuki beans (red beans), mochi, or condensed milk. Some favorite places are Waiola's, Tropicana's, Masumoto's, and Shimatsu, although you'll find that some people can get into heated debates about which one is the best shave ice place.
Dole Whip
Probably my favorite dessert; it's a frozen soft-serve made from pineapple. It's not exactly ice cream because the texture is more icy, but unfortunately for Jill (who's lactose intolerant), it is not dairy free. Look at how happy Mary is when she tried it for the first time!
Ice cream mochi
Ice cream wrapped in a glutinous rice-based dough of sorts; best at Bubbie's (which is about a 10-15 minute walk from our dorm....also a favorite hang out place for our team)
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