The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Hawaiian Foods. If you manage to be in an Hawaiian restaurant or you are visiting Hawaii, I recommend the following:
1. Saimin
Saimin, Hawaii’s national dish, is a thick noodle soup with shrimp, pork and egg. Japanese, Chinese and Filipino cultural influences come together in a delicious combination served hot with chopsticks. If comfort food is needed, there is a store-bought Semin premix.
2. Poke
An increasingly popular raw fish salad, sashimi has long been a Hawaiian staple. There are many variations. From gas stations to fancy restaurants, you’ll find kulas everywhere. Traditional Hawaiian poke consists of chunks of raw tuna, salmon or even squid served over hot rice, served with vegetables and spices. This is a versatile dish and a good choice for lunch.
3. Hawaiian Acai Bowl
It is a thick smoothie based on acai, a Brazilian fruit high in antioxidants. It has a mix of bananas and berries and is topped with more fruits and seeds like chia. It already sounds delicious, but in Hawaii it’s even more impressive thanks to those fruits: coconut, guava, pitaya, passion fruit and a very special organic honey.
4. Cow Pig Bun
Almost every restaurant has a burger on the menu, but only one that you’ll be drooling over as soon as you get off the plane. Cow Pig Bun burgers in Maui are just as good and may even be the best in Hawaii. Choose from six different burgers, all equally delicious, such as the signature burger with focaccia bun, bacon garlic aioli, gruyère cheese, rocket, caramelised onions and balsamic glaze, and the bacon burger with brioche, blue cheese, lettuce and bourbon, bacon jam and pickled onions.
5. Mochi
Mochi, small cakes made from glutinous rice. Mochi is prepared by slowly mixing cooked or steamed rice (usually the sticky rice mochi variety) until it becomes a thick, smooth paste. It is then rolled and formed into small circles. Mochi can be added to savoury dishes, usually soups and snacks, but are more often used to make sweets. As a dessert, mochi are often coated with food colouring to create countless delicious colour combinations.
6. Manapua
Manapua is a popular Hawaiian delicacy heavily influenced by the Chinese version of the steamed bun. The literal definition is “pork flake” or “pork mountain”, which may give you some clues as to what’s inside. Manapua is traditionally prepared with cabbage slaw or grilled pork strips. These days you can put almost anything in it, including vegetarian and vegan fillings.
7. Taro Ko Farm Chips
If the best foods can be determined in part by their toughness, the taro, uala (sweet potato) and chips from Taro Ko Farm are legit. You can only find these handmade chips in an old greenhouse in the historic town of Hanapepe on Kauai.
8. Luau Stew
Luau stew belongs to the category of traditional Hawaiian foods (this category also includes kalua pork, lomi lomi salmon, lau lau, haupia, kulolo, etc.). It is a delicious, spicy stew served with rice and poi. Luau stew is prepared by boiling luau leaves (from the taro plant) with water and a little salt.
9. Coco Puffs
It’s a small pastry filled with a creamy chocolate pudding and topped with a thick semi-solid coconut and vanilla frosting. If you ever get the chance to go to Honolulu, Hawaii, I recommend you go to Liliha’s Bakery and buy a box of cocoa beans. The Chantilly frostings have a sweet, smooth, rich buttery flavour that always leaves me wanting more.
10. Croissada
Croissant is one of the top 10 Hawaiian foods to try. It is a cross between a croissant and a traditional malasid (yeast baked dumplings coated in sugar). You could say that the croissant is also a creative achievement for the malasada. This dessert is very popular with travellers. This dish is light and airy with a sweet cream in the middle. Some also use local fruit jam in the middle of this dessert. It is worth trying these doughnuts without holes.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Oceanian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.