Hawaii Food and Drink

Hawaiian food offers the best of 'Pacific Rim' and 'New American' cooking styles, influenced by Chinese, Mediterranean, Mexican and other Asian countries. Many dishes are based on chicken, pork, seafood, and local fruit and vegetables cooked using traditional methods. The classic traditional Hawaiian feast is the luau, based around a puaa kalua (whole pig) that has been shaved and rubbed with rock salt on the inside. It is then placed on chicken wire, filled with hot stones from the fire, and cooked in an imu (pit) along with sweet potatoes, plantains, and sometimes laulau (pork, butterfish and spinach-like taro shoots wrapped in leaves and steamed). Served with traditional Hawai'ian poi (thick paste made from ground taro).