Top Hawaiian Food to Try on Vacation
Hawaii, the breathtaking archipelago that hosts some of the world’s more remarkable Islands, is also home to some of the most exciting cuisines. If you’re on vacation in Hawaii, you are sure to be spoiled for choice, as the city’s menu is blessed with tasty and great-looking dishes to make your stay worth it. This is largely since Hawaii has been a melting pot for migrants and visitors for centuries. Many of them came with their recipes and culinary prowess.
Over the years, all of these have combined to enhance Hawaii’s culinary richness, and you can get some of the world’s tastiest meals on any of its numerous Islands. If you’re not sure of what food you need to try, here’s a guide into the top Hawaiian foods to try on vacation. It’s best if you draw up a checklist to keep track of how many of them, you’re able to try before you leave Hawaii.
Shave Ice. Picture yourself walking on the beach on a warm summer afternoon. You have your hat and glasses on, and the weather is just picture-perfect; I dare say what’s missing is Shave Ice. It is pretty much in the middle between ice cream and smoothies. Shave Ice is just as the name implies, a block of ice in a cone, shaved to shape and flavored with sweet ingredients and syrup. This is the kind of relishing refreshment you need on those summer afternoons, and you can find them at street corners, bars, cafés, and restaurants, including the family-owned Beach Street Café is very popular for Maui shave ice.
Poke. It is hard to find a post on top foods in Hawaii to try that doesn’t feature the amazing Poke. It is both widespread and loved among locals and visitors alike. Poke is made by chopping ahi tuna fresh fish into small cubes, and then mixed with soy sauce, sesame seeds, onions, and limu seaweed, among others. It’s also not strange to find some restaurants using other types of fresh fish or even octopus. Whether it’s on the mainland or the coastal areas, this meal has become one of the most popular staples in the whole of Hawaii.
Lomi Lomi Salmon. Between this exciting dish and poke, much of the difference lies in how it is cooked. Salted salmon is chopped into cubes and massaged gently for some time, before mixing them with tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. The taste is both delicious and tangy, but every bite is certainly satisfying. Lomi Lomi Salmon is basically a salad and is often served as a side dish in Hawaii.
Kalua Pua’a. The underground oven is a constant feature in Hawaii for many reasons. For lovers of Kalua Pua’a, the slow-roasted pork that is heaped over a bowl of rice, it is the unique and strong smokey flavor that it gives the pork. This is one of the most exciting foods you should try in Hawaii. The pork becomes so tender that it literally melts in your mouth. The pork is seasoned with green onions and sea salt, but some other restaurants may have their own unique versions with some other condiments added.
Haupia. This mouth-watering delicacy is the perfect dessert after a nice meal during a vacation in Hawaii. If you love coconuts, you’ll love Haupia. When you mix coconut cream with arrowroot powder and put the mixture in an underground oven to bake, what you have is a deliciously tasty dessert. In modern times, you’d find that chefs and bakers boil the coconut cream and add cornstarch to thicken it. The mixture is then kept in the fridge to chill. Whether it’s roasted or boiled and chilled, what you get is a superb answer to your sweet-tooth craving.
