Hawaii

The archipelago of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is composed of rather young volcanic islands, the largest of which gives the name to all of them.

Hawaii, the fiftieth federated state of the United States of America, means homeland in the protopolinesian languages, those spoken by the first inhabitants of the islands, arrived around 300 AD, the Marquesas Islands and Bora Bora.

They were native Polynesian ethnic groups, which remained untouched until James Cook arrived in 1778 .

In the following centuries, in addition to natives and Europeans, Hawaii saw the arrival of Japanese, Filipino and Chinese, who brought their ingredients and their culinary traditions to this fertile archipelago because of the volcanoes.

This mix gave birth to Hawaiian cuisine, with its own characteristics derived from the Polynesian, Japanese, Filipino, European and American ones .

Hawaiian cuisine: typical dishes

Hawaii are young islands in continuous geological evolution, and the same can be said for their cuisine.

In fact, there is a substrate of traditional dishes, and one made of more modern and experimental dishes . We will mention some of them.

Generally a complete Hawaiian meal includes: rice, taro (the local tuber), local fish, pork or chicken, fruit or coconut dessert .

Let's start by mentioning the saimin, so iconic that it can also be sold in local McDonalds or in specific places that serve only that.

It is of Chinese origin and resembles a Japanese ramen. Ordering it, you will see yourself serving in a bowl a soup with boiled eggs, kamaboko (a compressed fish puree), spring onion, noodle, pickle, meat and cabbage .

As mentioned, the taro is the local tuber, imported long before the potato, and is found almost everywhere. On the way it is found in the form of fried chips, along with the batata.

A dish that can only be found in Hawaii is poké, a kind of fish salad and raw seafood .

There are simpler and more complex versions, with various sauces, toasted grains and aromatic herbs.

A dish loved by the Hawaiians is the luau stew, where steamed rice, stewed beef and tato leaves, ginger, coconut cream, pepper and seaweed are mixed.

Impossible not to mention the typical Hawaiian burgers, different from the Americans starting from the type of sandwich to end with the balsamic sauces.

We often find rocket, aged cheeses, garlic sauces and caramelized onions inside.

Where to eat Hawaiian cuisine (on the street or in restaurants)

Most Hawaiian restaurants are found at home, in the rest of the USA and in Australia. Follow Canada, England and France. They are rarely found in other countries.

However the real Hawaiian cuisine is eaten in Hawaii and is, if compared to the Italian parameters, to be considered expensive.

In Hawaii we will discover that in addition to restaurants there are specialized places for a type of food, such as sellers of burgers or saimin.

Then of course there is street food, cafeterias, and the ever-present Hawaiian parties, where food and soft drinks never fail.

Not to be missed in Hawaii

Let's start by mentioning the fruit and coffee, which are born here with all the blessing of tropical nature, which gives them maximum flavor.

The food is generally very tasty and of high quality, and we find everything, therefore dishes suitable for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores .

The pastry of Japanese origin is like the strawberry mochi are unique rarities that can be experimented on the spot.

What to avoid in Hawaii

It is easy to get carried away and end up overeating: the food is good and abundant, you will see that the dishes are always at the limit of exaggeration from a good American tradition.

There is a great deal of junk food that, although tasty and original, can weigh down and not a little. Burger, coco puff and croissants attract us at any time of day.

Hawaiian curiosities

Hawaiians are proud of their tradition but not arrogant, they know how to be hospitable and jovial like few others.

This led them to create courses and workshops to discover the true traditional cuisine, especially that based on fish. If you have the opportunity, join one.