Madeleine Hull
Hawaiian cuisine has changed dramatically over time, from the traditional lu'au to the modern plate lunch. The traditional Hawaiian diet was largely plant-based and is said to be one of the healthiest in the world. It consisted of a mix of indigenous plants and animals as well as plants and animals introduced by Polynesian voyagers, who became the Native Hawaiians. The most important staple food in the Native Hawaiian diet was taro, from which poi is made. Taro is grown in lo'i kalo, terraced mud patches often utilising spring-fed or stream irrigation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Staple food | Taro (Kalo) |
| Other staple crops | Sweet potatoes, Breadfruit |
| Meat | Pigs, Chicken, Dog |
| Seafood | Fish, Shellfish, Limpets, Sea urchin |
| Condiment | Sea salt |
| Relish | Inamona |
| Feast | 'Aha'aina (modern name: lū‘au) |
| Cooking method | Steaming, Boiling, Slow cooking in underground ovens (Imu) |
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What You'll Learn
Taro, a staple food
Taro, or kalo, is a root vegetable that has played an integral part in Hawaiian history and culture. It is a vegetable root with a light purple hue and a rich nutty flavor. Taro is a staple food in the Hawaiian diet, and Hawaiians hold it in high regard. According to Hawaiian legend, taro played a significant role in the creation story. In the story, the first child of the union between Father Heaven and Mother Earth was stillborn. When they buried the child, a taro plant grew in its place. The second son of the Earth and Sky became the father of all Hawaiians, and he revered the taro plant as an older brother. This love of taro was passed down to all Hawaiian descendants and is still a respected tradition.
Taro is grown in lo`i kalo, which are terraced mud patches often utilizing spring-fed or stream irrigation. Hawaiians traditionally cook the starchy, potato-like corm of the taro root for hours in an underground oven called an imu. The taro corm is also mashed into a paste called paʻi ʻai, which is then mixed with water to make poi, a staple food in the Hawaiian diet. The paste can be eaten fresh and sweet, or left to ferment and turn sour. Hawaiians also use dryland taro to make taro chips or add it to Chinese dishes. Taro is a good source of potassium and contains vitamin C, E, copper, magnesium, and B vitamins. The taro leaves are rich in vitamins A and C and contain a fair amount of protein. In Hawaii, taro leaves are used for wrapping laulaus.
Poi is a traditional staple food in the Polynesian diet, and Hawaiians consider it sacred. It is made by mashing cooked taro on a wooden pounding board (papa kuʻi ʻai) with a carved pestle (pōhaku kuʻi ʻai) made from basalt, calcite, coral, or wood. Modern methods use an industrial food processor to produce large quantities for retail distribution. The consistency of poi can range from highly viscous to liquid, and it can be classified as "one-finger," "two-finger," or "three-finger," depending on how many fingers are required to scoop it up. Hawaiians traditionally always had a bowl of poi on their tables, and it was either delivered to their homes or purchased in powdered form.
Taro is also used in other unexpected ways in Hawaii. Frozen yogurt stores often feature sweet taro as a frozen yogurt flavor, and taro powder is added to teas and smoothies. Taro is a versatile food that can be used in a multitude of ways, from potato chips to pie.
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Seafood and raw fish
Seafood and, more specifically, raw fish, are integral to the Hawaiian diet. The reef ecosystems surrounding the Hawaiian islands provide an abundant food source, with as many as 130 different types of seafood available.
Fish is considered a healthy component of the Hawaiian diet, offering high nutritional value and being good for the heart. It is a source of high-quality protein and most types are low in total fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Ocean fish are known to contain other nutrients important to maintaining good health, including minerals such as selenium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, and magnesium, and vitamins like niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Seafood is also the primary source of health-promoting long-chained omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which are beneficial to the developing infant, supporting full-term pregnancy, greater birth weight, improved visual acuity, and enhanced cognitive development.
The Hawaiian diet includes a variety of seafood, such as tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab sticks, scallops, sea urchin, and octopus. Fish is often consumed raw, seasoned with sea salt and limu (seaweed). This preparation has given birth to the popular dish poke, which consists of cubed raw fish mixed with seaweed and different seasonings. Poke is considered a quintessential component of Hawaiian cuisine, with its roots in the traditional fishing practices of Native Hawaiians. It is often served with rice and can be made with tofu instead of fish for vegetarians and vegans.
The bounty of fresh seafood in Hawaii allows for endless combinations of poke, with specialty shops offering daily catches from Honolulu's fish auction at Pier 38. The island of Maui is particularly known for its spicy poke, accented with fried kukui nuts, fried onion, and Hawaiian salt, and sometimes incorporating sweet onion, mango, pineapple, or lychee to balance the flavors.
While seafood is a staple of the Hawaiian diet, food safety is a growing concern. Histamine poisoning, for example, is one of the leading seafood-related illnesses in the US, and proper fish handling practices are essential to prevent it. The consumption of raw fish also raises questions about the risk of parasites, although there are no records of parasite infections from the raw consumption of commonly eaten Hawaiian fish species.
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Meat and animal products
Pigs, chickens, and dogs were also brought to the islands as cargo by ancient Polynesians, who had few meat animals in their home islands, aside from bats and lizards. The Polynesians also introduced sweet potatoes, breadfruit, coconuts, and sugarcane to Hawaii, which became staple foods.
Meat consumption in Hawaii increased after European contact, with the introduction of salted fish and New England cuisine by missionaries and whalers. During World War II, fishing around the islands was prohibited, and Spam was introduced by American servicemen, becoming an important source of protein for locals. Hawaiians are now the second-largest per-capita consumers of Spam in the world.
Meat dishes in modern Hawaiian cuisine include laulau, made with beef, pork, or chicken and salted butterfish wrapped in taro and ti leaves, and cooked in an imu (earth oven). Squid or chicken is also cooked with coconut milk and taro leaves in a dish called lūʻau.
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Plants and vegetables
The traditional Hawaiian diet is said to be one of the healthiest in the world, and it has changed dramatically over time. The cuisine of Hawaii incorporates five distinct styles of food, reflecting the diverse food history of settlement and immigration in the Hawaiian Islands. It is primarily influenced by Polynesian, North American, and East Asian cuisines.
The ancient Hawaiian diet was largely plant-based and included a variety of indigenous and introduced plants. Taro, a starchy root vegetable, was the primary staple food and is still much loved today. It was grown in terraced mud patches called lo'i kalo and prepared in various ways, including steaming, boiling, or pounding into pa'iai or poi, a traditional Hawaiian staple food. Taro leaves were also commonly consumed and used as wrappings for steaming other foods.
Sweet potatoes, also known as 'uala, were another important staple crop introduced by the first Polynesian settlers. They required less water to cultivate than taro and could be prepared similarly. Breadfruit, or 'ulu, was another starchy staple food introduced by the Polynesians. It grows on trees, unlike taro and sweet potatoes, which are grown in the ground.
Other plants and vegetables consumed in the Hawaiian diet included yams, coconuts, sugarcane, candlenuts (kukui nuts), bananas, and various fruits. The Polynesian voyagers are believed to have introduced between 27 and 30 plants, known as canoe plants, mainly for food.
In addition to these introduced species, early Hawaiians also consumed ferns, such as hāpu'u 'i'i, whose uncoiled fronds (fiddles) are eaten boiled. The starchy core of the ferns was considered a famine food or used as pig feed.
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Influence of immigration
The history of Hawaiian immigration began with the settlement of the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesian people between 940 and 1200 AD. The first recorded European contact occurred in January 1778 when British explorer James Cook sighted the islands. Following this, American immigration to Hawaii began, led by Protestant missionaries, and Native Hawaiian emigration, often on whaling ships and as forced labor. Americans established plantations to grow crops for export, including sugar and coffee, which required a substantial labor force.
The Hawaiian monarchy, established in 1795, encouraged a multi-ethnic society, promising equal voting rights regardless of race, gender, or wealth. However, in the late 19th century, a new constitution was enacted that benefited foreign plantation owners and disenfranchised native Hawaiians and other ethnic groups. This facilitated the influx of immigrant contract plantation workers from Japan, China, the Philippines, Korea, and Portugal, who were seeking better economic opportunities. By 1896, Japanese immigrants made up about 25% of the population, and they established strong cultural roots, with Buddhist temples and traditional holidays becoming commonplace.
The arrival of immigrants from East and Southeast Asia, as well as the earlier influence of Polynesian voyagers, had a significant impact on the Hawaiian diet. The Polynesian settlers introduced various staple crops, including ʻulu (breadfruit), ʻuala (sweet potatoes), and coconuts, and they brought pigs, chickens, and dogs, which became a source of meat. The early Hawaiian diet was diverse and may have included numerous types of seafood and sweet potatoes. The introduction of sugar and pineapple plantations by foreign interests further transformed the Hawaiian economy and landscape, with waves of immigrants arriving to work in these fields.
By the 1920s, the population of Native Hawaiians had drastically decreased, and they made up only 16% of the islands' population, down from 97% in 1853. The immigration of various cultural groups to Hawaii contributed to the evolution of the Hawaiian diet, blending indigenous plants and animals with introduced foods and creating a unique culinary culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Taro, or kalo, is the primary staple food in the Native Hawaiian diet. It is typically steamed and eaten in chunks or pounded into pa'iai or poi. Taro leaves are also used as wrappings for other foods for steaming. Other staples include 'Uala (sweet potatoes), 'ulu (breadfruit), coconuts, sugarcane, and yams.
Meat was introduced to the Hawaiian diet by Polynesian voyagers. Pua'a (pig), moa (chicken), and 'ilio (dog) were eaten primarily by royalty and nobility but were also consumed by common people. Fish and seafood are also a large part of the Hawaiian diet, with as many as 130 different types of seafood being eaten.
A traditional Hawaiian feast is called an 'aha'aina. The modern name for such feasts, lū‘au, was not used until 1856.
Poke is a popular Hawaiian dish that originated from the Hawaiian practice of eating raw fish seasoned with sea salt and limu (seaweed).
