5 Incredible Hawaiian Dishes You Can’t Pass Up

No cruise to the Hawaiian Islands is complete without sampling the local cuisine, which incorporates ingredients from around the world. Immigrants from China, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Portugal, and even American G.I.s have added their own favorite flavors to Hawaiian recipes. I’m not recommending expensive restaurants and I’m not demanding you try spam (hugely popular) or the island staple of sticky poi (thick pasty substance). But do try some traditional island specialties found at beach bars, local restaurants, and even grocery stores. Here are five must-try dishes. Just remember: These aren’t your mama’s mainland fare!

Malasada

Let’s start off easy with fresh-from-the-oven, still-warm malasadas. This simple, sugary pleasure of buttery dough is rolled in sugar and deep-fried. They are light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior. Traditional malasadas are delicious, but also try them with fruit fillings or cream. Malasadas are found at bakeries fresh from the oven. Divine!

Saimin

Looking for a Hawaiian comfort food that’s a versatile meal with loads of adaptations? Try saimin, a noodle-based soup with dashi broth, green onions, kamaboko (fish cake), thinly sliced ham, spam, or Chinese barbecued pork plus your choice of a number of other additions like shrimp, cooked eggs, or bok choy. It’s considered Hawaii’s national dish and is served nearly everywhere (including McDonald’s) so be sure to sample a big steaming bowl of saimin.

Kalua Pig

If you’ve been to a Hawaiian luau, you most certainly enjoyed Kalua pig. It’s always the star of any gathering, and is one of Hawaii’s most commonly served foods. The traditional Kalua pig (the whole pig) is stuffed with hot rocks, covered with banana leaves, and cooked over coals underground for a smoky flavor. It’s tender, moist, and juicy so put thick succulent pieces of it over white rice and you’ve got some great eating.

Poke

Local-style poke is a mixture of fresh tidbits of raw yellowfin tuna, marinated in lemon or lime juice, Maui onions, Hawaiian sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili pepper, often served over white rice. There are many variations on poke including avocado, spicy mayo, peppers, or wasabi. The secret to poke is fresh fish, not frozen. Look for poke at a local fish market or food store and pick up some poke to go.

Hawaiian Shaved Ice

What could be so special about shaved ice? This isn’t a country fair, crunchy snow cone. It’s superfine ice that soaks up all the syrup evenly so the flavor remains strong to the last sip. The special syrups are frequently handcrafted from local fruits such as passion fruit, pineapple, and papaya with cane sugar and often topped with sweetened condensed milk called a “snow cap.” Ice cream may be added underneath the shaved ice and a variety of toppings are available. Perfect after a hot day at the beach!

Enjoy this video about Honolulu highlights and then let us know your favorite Hawaiian food.