A lūʻau ( haw, lūʻau, also anglicized as "luau") is a traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment. It may feature food such as poi, ''

kālua Kālua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an ''imu'', a type of underground oven. The word "''kālua''" ("to cook in an underground oven" in the Hawaiian language) may also be used to describe the food cooked in this manner ...

puaʻa'' (kālua pig),

poke Poke may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Poke (''Ender's Game''), a fictional character * Poke (game), a two-player card game * Poke, a fictional bar owner in the television series '' Treme'' * The Poke, a British satirical website Fo ...

lomi salmon Lomi salmon (more commonly known as lomi-lomi salmon) is a side dish in Hawaiian cuisine. It is a fresh tomato and salmon salad and was introduced to Hawaiians by early Western sailors. It is typically prepared by mixing salted, shredded salmon ...

, ʻopihi, and

haupia Haupia is a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert often found at luaus and other local gatherings in Hawaii. Since the 1940s, it has become popular as a topping for white cake, especially at weddings. Although technically considered ...

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

, and entertainment such as traditional Hawaiian music and

hula Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song ( mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visua ...

. Among people from Hawaiʻi, the concepts of "lūʻau" and "party" are often blended, resulting in graduation lūʻau, wedding lūʻau, baby lūʻau, and birthday lūʻau.

History

In ancient Hawaiʻi, men and women ate meals separately. Additionally, commoners and women were not allowed to eat foods that were rarely eaten or foods that were only served during special occasions. However, in 1819, King Kamehameha II removed all the religious laws that were practiced. King Kamehameha II performed a symbolic act by eating with the women, thus ending the Hawaiian religious kapu (taboo) system. This is when the ''lūʻau'' parties were first created. Luau

Food

Earlier, such a feast was called a or . The modern name comes from that of a food often served at a lūʻau: squid or chicken ''lūʻau'', which consist of meat, ''lūʻau'' (or

taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Afri ...

) leaves, and coconut milk. The main dish of the lūʻau is ''kālua puaʻa'' (kālua pig), slow-cooked in an imu (earth oven). Another dish that is served is poi, made from the roots of

. This feast was usually served on the floor, on the mats often decorated with large centerpieces typically made of ''tī'' leaves. Utensils were never present during a lūʻau; everything was eaten by hand. For example, varieties of poi were identified by the number of fingers needed to eat it: "three-finger", "two-finger", or the thickest, "one-finger poi". A traditional lūʻau consists of food such as: Food at a traditional Hawaiian luau

* Chicken long rice *

Haupia Haupia is a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert often found at luaus and other local gatherings in Hawaii. Since the 1940s, it has become popular as a topping for white cake, especially at weddings. Although technically considered ...

* ''ʻUala'' (Hawaiian sweet potato) * Hawaiian sweet bread * '' Kālua puaʻa'' (Hawaiian roast pig) * Kulolo *

Laulau Laulau, otherwise known as Lū in Tonga, Palusami in Melanesia(Fiji) and Samoa, and Rukau in the Cook Islands, is a Polynesian dish consisting of cooked taro leaves containing fillings such as pork, fish or coconut cream. In old Hawaii, laula ...

* Lomilomi salmon * Poi *

Poke Poke may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Poke (''Ender's Game''), a fictional character * Poke (game), a two-player card game * Poke, a fictional bar owner in the television series '' Treme'' * The Poke, a British satirical website Fo ...

* Squid lūʻau or chicken lūʻau *

Tropical fruits A tropical fruit one that typically grows in warm climates, or equatorial areas. Tropical fruits Varieties of tropical fruit include: *Acerola ( West Indian Cherry or Barbados Cherry) *Ackee *Banana *Barbadine (granadilla; maracujá-açu in ...

Lūʻau-themed parties

Lūʻau-themed or Hawaiian-themed parties vary in their range of dedication to Hawaiian traditions. For example, some extravagant affairs go so far as to ship food from the islands, while others settle for artificial lei, maitais, and a poolside atmosphere. To have a lūʻau-themed party, it is essential to have an open area, such as a backyard, because lūʻau are celebrated under large tents in outdoor areas. Also a lei is a very common item in a lūʻau. A lei is a necklace of flowers, ferns, or ''kukui'' nuts that men and women wear. At lūʻau-themed parties, the guests can make their own lei or they can be bought. At these types of parties entertainment is a must. The instruments used are typically the

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

and sometimes drums. There are also often hula dancers. Some credit Donn Beach with the initial popularity and commercialization of lūʻaus within the continental United States. A ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'' article from 1946 graphically displays one of his famous lūʻaus that he held in Encino, California. In a 1986 interview Beach described his role in shaping private, home based lūʻaus into larger public affairs, where he included entertainment from singers such as Alfred Apaka.

References

External links

*
Hawaii Lūʻaus Official Website
{{Authority control Hawaii culture Eating parties

History

Food

Lūʻau-themed parties

References

Further reading

External links