Alright y’all, it’s my favorite time of the week…Food Frenzy Day! Today we are talking Hawaiian food.
Food in Hawaii is a combination of American, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, with influence from the 19th and 20th centuries. The food actively represents geography, history, and the traditional beliefs of its settlers. Plantation workers and later on, surfers wanted something nutritious as their main meal of the day. This led to the now-famous "lunch plate." Eventually, Spam became a signature food in Hawaii when the American servicemen came to inhabit the area.
Foods to Try
Poi
Poi : A staple and traditional filler starch dish
Laulau
Laulau : Made with pork wrapped in layers of taro leaves
Kalua pig
Kalua pig : Pork dish cooked in an underground oven
Poke
Poke : bite sized hearty fish cubes
Saimin
Saimin: an iteration of a Chinese egg-noodle soup
Taro Ko Farm Chips
Taro Ko Farm Chips : uala(sweet potato) and potato chips
All-Natural Shave Ice
All-Natural Shave Ice : Hawaii iconic frozen treat
After eating all of that yummy food, you will need to wash the food down with some Hawaiian beverages. Here are my recommendations for delightful Hawaiian drinks.
*Any of these cocktails can be made “virgin” and are still as delicious!
Drinks to Try
Mai Tai
A Mai Tai is a rum based cocktail with light and dark rums, almond syrup and pineapple juice. They pack a serious punch due to all the alcohol in them.
Blue Hawaii
The Blue Hawaii is a tropical cocktail made of rum, pineapple juice, Blue Curaçao, sweet and sour mix, and sometimes vodka. It should not be confused with the similarly named Blue Hawaiian cocktail that contains creme of coconut instead of sweet and sour mix.
Chi chi
One of my favorite Hawaiian beverages is the Chi chi. A cousin to the pina colada that swaps out the rum for vodka. It's perfect for those who love that pineapple and coconut combination, but not necessarily the sugar rush that comes along.
Hawaiian Lemonade
The Hawaiian Lemonade is a tropical non-alcoholic cocktail made from pineapple juice and lemonade, and served over ice in a highball glass.
Hawaiian Island Surfer
Legend has it, that King Lunalilo, of the Kingdom of Hawaii, was in search of a cool drink to quench his thirst after a long day of surfing. It was originally served in a hollowed out pineapple. The mix of pineapple juice and coconut rum will whisk you away to your own Hawaiian island for the day.
I'm sure you are craving Hawaiian food now! I'd love to help you plan your trip, so be sure to click on the link below, so we can start planning your Hawaiian vacation!
Want to learn a little bit more about Hawaii and all it has to offer to its visitors? Check out our amazing destination guide for Hawaii to get some more ideas on what you can do on your Hawaiian vacation (just click on the image below). Then, when you are ready to plan your trip, we can help you every step of the way!
Click on image for you Destination Guide for Hawaii