Traditional Hawaiian Food: Eat These 7 Massively Tasty Dishes

By Mark Wiens 91 Comments
Traditional Hawaiian Food
Traditional Hawaiian Food

Many traditional Hawaiian foods are dishes originally brought over from Pacific Polynesian islands.

Though now the islands of Hawaii include a diverse demographic of ethnicities all adding their own flavors, there still remains a vibrant following of traditional favorites – the true tastes of Hawaii.

Let’s just dive straight into these really tasty 7 traditional Hawaiian foods. Be sure to sample all of them when you visit Hawaii!

Poi - Traditional Hawaiian Staple Dish
Poi – Traditional Hawaiian Staple Dish

1. Poi

The staple and traditional filler starch dish in Hawaiian cuisine is something known as poi.

Poi is a thick paste made from taro root (similar to a yam or potato but with a starchy-er flavor) that is either steamed or baked and pounded. While pounding, water is added to the mixture to create a very sticky pudding like consistency.

Poi has a unique flavor, it’s starchy and slightly sour from the light fermentation in the preparation process. I personally can’t get enough poi while I’m in Hawaii, but I can understand that the flavor and texture does get some getting used to. I like to add a little lomƒi-lomi salmon (see below) to my bowl of poi to make it even better.

If you’re really interested to try poi, you can buy it in powder form, but fresh poi is the best tasting.

Hawaiian Laulau
Hawaiian Laulau

2. Laulau

Traditional Hawaiian food would not be complete without a dish known as laulau — it’s one of my personal favorite dishes on this Hawaiian food list.

Taro is a well respected plant, not only in Hawaii, but also throughout Polynesia and the Pacific islands. While poi is made from the taro root, laulau is made from the leaves.

Traditionally laulau is made with pork wrapped in layers of taro leaves and cooked in an underground hot rock oven for hours until it turns soft and smoky flavored. The meat is tender and juicy while the leaves turn to a spinach like consistency.

Nowadays you can easily find fish, chicken or pork laulau in Hawaii.

Hawaiian Food
Kalua Pig

3. Kalua pig

Another giant of Hawaiian cuisine is the famous pork dish known as Kalua Pig.

Cooked in an underground oven (known as an imu), the pork slow roasts so it becomes extremely tender and retains a remarkable smoky flavor.

Kalua pig is similar to southern American pulled pork, but instead of the tangy barbecue sauce it has a pungent wood smoke flavor. In my opinion, kalua pig goes great with a nice big pile of rice!

Poke and Tako
Poke and Tako

4. Poke

Poke is the Hawaiian version of Japanese sashimi (raw fish) — and for myself, it doesn’t get much better than poke — I’m in love and addicted. Every time I come back to Hawaii to visit family, poke is just about the first food I want to eat.

Instead of slicing the fish thin like for Japanese sashimi, Hawaiian poke is served in bite sized hearty cubes. The most common type of fish is ahi (tuna), but a number of other kinds of fresh saltwater fish are also very commonly used.

There are so many different types of poke you can try in Hawaii, from limu poke to shoyu poke to spicy mayo poke, each using cubes of raw fish but with a different marinade combination. For the common shoyu poke (soy sauce), the raw fish is cut into cubes, seasoned with a splash of good soy sauce, Hawaiian sea salt, sweet Maui onions (they are so good if you can find some), and perhaps some limu (seaweed type of plant).

One of the latest and greatest inventions is the poke bowl, a bowl of rice topped with a heap of poke. If you ever go to the North Shore of Oahu, check out Kahuku Superette (it’s mandatory).

Note: Also pictured is tako, which is octopus made in a similar way as poke. When you’re in Hawaii, you should try both poke and tako.

Traditional Hawaiian Food
Lomi Salmon

5. Lomi Salmon (lomi-lomi salmon)

Lomi salmon is not originally native to Hawaii but was brought over from other Pacific islands. The dish is now part of most traditional Hawaiian meals and makes a great addition to poi.

Raw salmon is cured with salt and diced up along with tomatoes, onions, and normally some chili peppers. The result is what I’d call a salmon infused Hawaiian style salsa garnish, and it absolutely works incredibly well together.

The salty flavor of the salmon paired with the acidic tomatoes and pungent onions is a flavor to cherish.

Hawaiian Food
Chicken Long Rice

6. Chicken long rice

Chicken long rice is not a traditional Hawaiian food recipe, but it has weaved its way into becoming a norm at many Hawaiian luaus and meals.

Originally a Chinese food inspired dish, chicken long rice is a combination of clear mung bean noodles cooked in chicken soup. The result is a slurpy stew with clear noodles, chunks of chicken and often a pleasant gingery flavor. I think eating chicken long rice goes very well together with a full Hawaiian food meal.

7. Fruit (like pineapple and lilikoi)

Topping off a great Hawaiian meal, it’s a very pleasant necessity to enjoy some freshly grown Hawaiian fruit.

The islands of Hawaii were formerly famous for their fruit, but as land and labor became too expensive, the fruit industry in Hawaii started to decline. However, you can still get local fruit and Hawaii is famous for tropical fruits like pineapple and passion fruit (liliko).

There you have 7 traditional Hawaiian food favorites to enjoy when you’re in Hawaii. Though modern developed Hawaiian plate lunches and SPAM musubi are so popular, Hawaii still holds on dearly to its heritage of cuisine.

Have you ever had a traditional Hawaiian feast? What’s your favorite dish?

91 comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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  • alina

    6 months ago

    Can I get some more Hawaiian food recipes

  • CapCut Template

    10 months ago

    Thanks

  • Devin Shaw

    1 year ago

    This article is inaccurate as salmon is not found in Hawai’I traditionally, neither is pineapple, chicken long rice is from Asian origins kanaka didn’t have “long rice”. Shame on this site and who wrote this.

  • Kathy

    2 years ago

    I didn’t develop a taste for Poi, but Lomi-lomi Salmon is great along with the Kalua pig. We spent 4 years there thanks to Uncle Sam and I cried when we left.

  • noah

    2 years ago

    more hawaiian food plz

  • vishal kaushik

    3 years ago

    Nice share Mark! Please keep writing.

  • vishal kaushik

    3 years ago

    Just love this blog post. Thanks for share!

  • Karee

    3 years ago

    What a great list. Some of it is definitely different than anything I’ve ever tried, but I love finding out about new cultures and what they eat. Thanks!

  • Yor

    3 years ago

    Ok Sharon!!!!

  • Sharon K Connell

    3 years ago

    I wish there was a “Love” or at least a “Like” button I could press for the article and all of these comments, EXCEPT THE NEGATIVE ONES. It’s wonderful to learn about different cultures. Since starting to write my book which is set on O’ahu, I’ve plunged into all the research I can about the island, these lovely people, their culture, and traditions. Mahalo

  • jon

    3 years ago

    crazy

  • Elyce. O”Leary

    5 years ago

    Now I loved !! the Filipino food.

  • Elyce. O”Leary

    5 years ago

    I lived there. Julian is right. It tastes awful. Lomi Lomi salmon I came real close to throwing up. I like my fish southern deep fried!!! Otherwise loved it there.

  • Julian

    5 years ago

    This food is nasty as heck I swear

    • Jennifer

      5 years ago

      how would u did u even try it??

    • Hawaiian

      3 years ago

      Don’t diss my culture

    • Esther Choen

      3 years ago

      Agreed, people have different tastes.

    • Hawaiian fan

      3 years ago

      Hawaiian is it fun where your culture is?

    • Follow me on instagram: Mbongwa33

      3 years ago

      did u already taste it you can’t just say this food is nasty

    • Nell

      3 years ago

      I agree some food you just got to get used to and it might not be your thing doesn’t mean it’s nasty

    • Hawaii

      3 years ago

      Then go back to the mainland stupid haole

  • Rodolfo Ambrosetti

    6 years ago

    Do you know any restaurant in the Big Island where we can taste some of these traditional food? It seems that that island is just full of italiani-sh, japani-sh and other …-sh restaurants. I will be there in a few days and I want to have a real Hawaiian experience 🙂

    • EndGame

      5 years ago

      if you really want a hawaiian experience just go to the polynesian cultural center in oahu. It is just full of hawaiian experiences, luaus included and hawaiian foods.

    • Jessica

      3 months ago

      🤙🏻👍🏻

  • Rushikesh pathade

    6 years ago

    Thank you…. this is very helpful ????

  • Nathan Lumpkin

    6 years ago

    Don’t you guys have Roast Pig/Ham?

  • Rtgfxvgfn

    6 years ago

    I would love to try the raw fish

  • Lil Pump

    6 years ago

    I really want to try the chicken long rice.

    • Joliett

      5 years ago

      For real yes !!!!!!

  • 21 SAVAGE

    6 years ago

    ITS AMAZING FOOD

  • kira g. sherrill

    6 years ago

    this will be very helpful

  • Marita

    7 years ago

    Waaw

  • preyasha

    7 years ago

    i am in love with hawaiian food!

  • preyasha

    7 years ago

    fuck you someone dont disgust someones cultures food!

  • Simar

    7 years ago

    Hi i want to send some of tradional food recip easy cz i have afeasta at school about hawii

  • preyasha

    7 years ago

    i love poke i tried it there

  • Kj

    7 years ago

    Why is tha chicken long rice clear and is it even good??

    • Stephen Carson

      6 years ago

      After getting past your initial reaction of “eww” or “wtf” it is pretty good. It was the texture that was initially off-putting to me but by 2 fork fills I was nice! Especially if eating with a full Hawaiian meal.

  • Daisy

    7 years ago

    Pineapple isn’t actually from Hawaii ????

  • sarah long

    7 years ago

    btw i am in fccla

  • Rahelel

    7 years ago

    Every But Spam come on

    • Stephen Carson

      6 years ago

      Fried Spam on rice or with eggs is ono! (it was project/ghetto food during my small kids time in RI). 62 year old grown arsed man still eating Spam grindz! ????????

  • Marilyn Rust

    7 years ago

    I’m from hawaii born and raised I love my hawaiian foods but I now live in oklahoma and get not get any but I wish I could order some

    • Stephanie

      7 years ago

      Haven’t you been to the Oriental market in Oklahoma City on Classen road? They have kalua pork, poi, s&s saimin , Hawaiian salt, lihi Mui and so on

  • Andrew

    7 years ago

    I love these foods

  • Richard DeCosta II

    8 years ago

    Is there a main-land delivery available?

  • someone

    8 years ago

    bluah people are grose eating that in hawaii!!
    specially spam…

  • Hiwa

    8 years ago

    Cool post, just a pointer that pineapple isn’t at all a traditional food, in fact, in Hawaiian its name is ‘hala kahiki’ or foreign hala since it looks like the fruit of a native hala tree but is foreign. It was first imported to grow in Hawai’i around the 1830’s, originally from Costa Rica.

  • Jesse Dean

    8 years ago

    Wow the cuisine looks very harty

  • Kai

    8 years ago

    I have to bring a potluck item representing my heritage. As you can see from my name I am Hawaiian living in California so I searched for what I could bring and read your article.
    Yummy yummy! Very well done. And I guess I’ll be stopping by L&L for Kalua pig since I can’t really procure all these other wonderful foods off island. (Although poke bowls are popping up all around Pasadena, Ca & I heard Costco had poke)

  • J. Guilherme

    8 years ago

    Hi Mark, where exactly did you get that plate in the video from?
    Thanks in advance for the info!

    • Mark Wiens

      8 years ago

      Hi J. this plate of food was home-cooked at my Aunt’s house. Sorry no restaurant on this post. But if you’re looking for a good place for Hawaiian food you could try Helena’s or People’s Kitchen.

  • jody

    8 years ago

    Love every one of these delicious foods. I do prefer fresh poi not soured. You forgot kim-chew……ono!

  • mark

    9 years ago

    Hey! isn’t it good!
    Sweet, tangy, savoury and spicy flavours all though the mashes and dishes and fishes and other crappy in your nappy so say what about a sappy crappy in your pooy nappy:)

  • john

    9 years ago

    HEY! these are beautiful!
    I love the chicken long rice 🙂
    I haven’t tried the Fruit ( like pineapple ) but it sounds delicious!
    Thank you soooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!

    • Mark:)

      9 years ago

      Laulau is very nice!:)
      I agree with you John the chicken long rice is amazing!!!!!!!!!:):):):):)
      Thank you sooooooo much!
      You are the best:)!!!!!!!

    • hamish

      9 years ago

      cool thanks mark!!!!……..:):):):):):):):)

  • Victoria

    9 years ago

    Hi there I am hapa -Okinawan and hapa -haoli and was fortunate enough to grow up in Wahiawa on the island of Oahu. I love the way you describe all the Hawaiian food. I am in Chicago and miss Hawaii so much I want to return to live. I’m glad I stumbled upon your website.

    • Mark Wiens

      9 years ago

      Hey Victoria, great to hear from you, thank you for checking out my site. You and me are both missing Hawaiian food!

  • Maebelle Librando

    10 years ago

    Being born and raised on Maui, but now living in California, anything to do with Hawaiian Foods “excites” me..Poi, Yum!!! How could you not like poi & lomi salmon. or poi & poke!!!

    • Mark Wiens

      10 years ago

      Hey Maebelle, glad to hear you were raised in Hawaii. Yah, poi and lomi salmon and poke, can’t be beat!

  • Liana Falaniko

    11 years ago

    This information is incorrect. These 7 dishes are very much “Local” favorites but they are a far cry from “Traditional” hawaiian food. Granted you started off on the right track, Poi, Laulau, and Kalua Pig are very much traditional. However, Poke, Lomilomi Salmon, and Pineapple are NOT traditionally hawaiian. Poke is Japanese meaning “cube/dice” which is why the fish is cubed. Lomilomi is hawaiian for massage but this refers to the technique of using your hands to message the salmon, tomoato, green onions, and yellow onions together. As for the pineapple it’s from the Philippines not Hawaiian. These 4 dishes were brought to hawaii by imigrents who came here to work on the sugar cane plantations. The workers would share their different lunches during their brake and over time each culture was represented in what we in hawaii now refer to and “mix plate.” If you are going to use such words as “Traditional” you should make sure that it is being used to discribe true “Traditional” items.

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Hey Liana, great, thank you for all your input!

    • Toni

      11 years ago

      This mixed plate I reminds me of what you would get at any southern BBQ joint. We all think of it as traditional ( pork, chicken or ribs with greens, mac and cheese, baked beans and cornbread). Even thought everything originated from a different culture we southerners definitely consider this southern cooking and not visit to the south would be complete without sampling our ‘traditional’ southern food. Thanks for the suggestions Mark. We are headed to Hawaii at the end of the summer. Cant WAIT to try these amazing dishes.

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Hey Toni, thanks for sharing, southern BBQ is amazing as well. Have a great trip to Hawaii and enjoy the food!

  • AudreyD.

    11 years ago

    I tried to make to most out of the little time we had in Hawaii and try as many Hawaiian dishes as possible! From the list here, I see we did great!

    Fruits and seafood are, of course, delicious and we couldn’t get enough of them! Loved everything: the lomi lomi salmon, kalua pig (we had some nachos with kalua pig, it was amazing!), laulau and really really LOVED the poke. And the poi was…well poi. Couldn’t eat it beyond the first bite, but still tried it!

    Ahhh, this make me wish to be on an Hawaiian beach right now with some delicious food! 🙂

    • Mark Wiens

      11 years ago

      Hey Audrey, that’s great to hear. Hawaiian food is so comforting and I know what you mean, it makes you want to be on the beach! Good job for sampling poi as well!

  • Malia Yoshioka

    12 years ago

    I’m another in the hapa club – half Japanese. =) Poke is just an island staple and I’ve got friends who fish, but a good lau lau and lomi salmon are more of a treat… Your photos are making my mouth water – I might have to go order lau lau today. Love your passion for Hawaii cuisine, Mark.

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Cool to hear that Malia and thanks for the comment. Hope you enjoyed your lau lau!

  • Christine | Grrrl Traveler

    12 years ago

    That Hawaiian plate brings back so many memories. I’m part Hawaiian, so I was raised with family luaus. Before I became veggie- I LOVED kalua pig. Long rice, poi (with sugar)… as a child, that was it.
    Poke and spam musubis, til today, they still tempt me. There are times in Hawaii, I’ll un-veggie myself.

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Cool to hear that you’re also hapa Christine! I’m half Chinese, and my mother is also from Hawaii so I’ve spent quite a bit of time there. Hawaii is where I truly become a food lover!

  • Ayngelina

    12 years ago

    I forgot to look up laulau before I ate it tonight, yep ate some leaves – kinda tastes like spinach.

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Haha, yes it does sort of taste like spinach, but luckily if has more of a smokey and porky flavor!

  • John | Travel Rinse Repeat

    12 years ago

    Kalua Pork is one of my favorites! Glad to see it made the list.

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Cool, it’s a really tasty way to cook pork!

  • Lisa

    12 years ago

    Kailua pig is my hands down favorite. Yum.

  • Ava Apollo

    12 years ago

    I would eat each and every one of those things right now. Except for salmon. I never could get a taste for it.

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Cool to hear that Ava! Thanks for taking a look at this article.

  • sully86

    12 years ago

    mark: the poke sounds like another version of the sarawak Umai

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Wow, I’ve never had that, but it sounds awesome – I’d love to try some Umai!

  • jenjenk

    12 years ago

    i can tell you what ISN’T my favorite. Poi. I’ve eaten it a dozen different ways and I just can’t get a liking for it.

    i love so many things – Poke, Spam Musubi, mochiko chicken, mac salad, malasadas and of course, the shave ice!!

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Yes, Jen, great to hear that you also enjoy Hawaiian speciality dishes! Poi is a different kind of flavor – I really like it with lomi salmon mixed in.

  • Lane

    12 years ago

    The Hawaiians certainly know their way around pork dishes, and you can’t get better fruit or seafood, but poi? I couldn’t force myself to gag down a second bite. We were told by a local that it is like “bread”. I have no idea in what way.

    • Mark Wiens

      12 years ago

      Hey Lane, yes, poi is definitely a unique taste and texture – hmmm bread? Never heard of that before – maybe that it’s eaten as a staple? Fruit and seafood is so delicious in Hawaii!