Hawaiian Cuisine
Hawaiian restaurants have reinvented the menu with creative new cooking called Hawaii Regional Cuisine. Island chefs use local products and the freshest ingredients to prepare exquisite dishes that are edible works of art. The results are ono(delicious)!
Hawaiian Foods
Hawaii's ethnic diversity has given rise to a wide selection of different cuisines. You can find all kinds of Oriental foods (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese) as well as Western influences (Portuguese, English, American) throughout the islands. Restaurants range from the high end gourmet variety to cheaper neighbourhood eateries.
Fresh fish features high on the menu in Hawaii and can be particularly good value in some of the neighbourhood restaurants. Some of the most popular locally caught fish include:
ahi yellowfin tuna
aku skipjack tuna
au swordfish, marlin
kaku barracuda
mahimahi a large white fish called 'dolphin'(don't worry, it's not the mammal!)
mano shark
ono a tasty white fish from the mackerel family
onaga red snapper
Fruit grows well on the Hawaiian islands including:
avocado banana breadfruit starfruit coconut guava
lychee mango pineapple passion fruit papaya
Many of the passionate and creative Hawaiian chefs try to incorporate as much of the fresh farm produce onto their menus as possible.
Hawaiians love any excuse for a party and often celebrate with an authentic luau. Many hotels offer a more commercial version of the feast which centres on a whole pig being slow baked with hot rocks all day in a covered pit.
Other local foods include poi, a paste made from mashed, cooked taro roots and often laced with lots of sugar to make it palatable. It is definitely an acquired taste and the local saying "He who says he likes poi is either a Hawaiian or a liar" is probably closely based on the truth!
Another local favourite, particularly when accompanied by beer, is poke, a raw fish marinated in soy sauce, chilli peppers, oil, green onions and seaweed.
Crack Seed is a Chinese snack food that can be sweet, sour, salty or a combination of all three. Made from preserved, seasoned chewy fruits such as plums and apricots, they come with or without cracked seeds or whole seeds.
Macadamia nuts are a speciality of Hawaii's Big Island. These rich, buttery, creamy, round nuts are very 'more-ish' whether salted, coated in garlic, covered in chocolate or served plain. Make sure you bring some home!
Drinking in Hawaii
The legal drinking age in Hawaii is 21 and it is strictly enforced with 'carding' (checking official ID) being common practice in most bars and restaurants. It isn't worth the owner's licence to take a chance on serving someone who looks or is under age. They won't even allow an accompanying adult to purchase drink for a person who can't prove they over the legal age limit. If they are in doubt, they will throw you out!
There are a few microbreweries dotted around the islands, with most of their ales and lagers being available only in their own brewpubs. However, The Kona Brewing Company distributes its ales for sale in grocery stores and restaurants throughout the islands.
Maui boasts it's own vineyard, producing grape wine, champagne and even a pineapple wine! There is also a local Hawaiian liquor called Okolehau, made from ti root, whose name means 'iron bottom' from the large iron kettle it was originally made in.
The tap water in Hawaii is generally safe to drink but bottled water is cheap in local supermarkets and newsagents. Children all seem to love the refreshing Hawaiian 'Shave Ice' which is served in a paper cone covered in a variety of flavoured syrups.
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Hawaii Island Information
Kona Coffee, grown on the Big Island, is also known as 'black gold' and is well worth a try. It is available in different blends, the 100% Kona Coffee being the strongest and most distinctive in flavour.
Big Island Tea in Hawaii yielded its first harvest in Spring 2009. Production is limited to just 5 - 10 lbs of tea. The organically grown tea leaves are hand-harvested, then hand-rolled and hand-fired (pan-roasted) in a traditional Chinese fashion for a nuanced, complex flavor profile.
Great Value Hawaii in 2010!If we find cheaper prices on your travel dates we'll pass the savings on to you!
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