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Native Hawaiian cuisine refers to the traditional Hawaiian foods that predate contact with Europeans and immigration from
East and
Southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
Asia. The cuisine consisted of a mix of indigenous plants and animals as well as plants and animals introduced by Polynesian voyagers, who became the Native Hawaiians.
History
Voyagers and canoe foods
The earliest
Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
n seafarers are believed to have arrived on the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
in 300-500 AD. Few edible plants were indigenous to Hawaiʻi aside from a few
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...
s and fruits that grew at higher elevations. Fish, shellfish, and
limu are abundant in Hawai’i.
Flightless bird
Flightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species, including the well known ratites (ostriches, emu, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the In ...
s were easy to catch and eggs from nests were also eaten. Most
Pacific islands
Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...
had no meat animals except bats and lizards. Various food-producing plants were introduced to the island by the migrating Polynesian peoples.
Botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
s and
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
s believe that these voyagers introduced anywhere from 27 to more than 30 plants to the islands, mainly for food. The most important of them was
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 Africa ...
. For centuries, taro—and the ''
poi'' made from it—was the main staple of the Hawaiian diet, and it is still much loved. ''ʻUala'' (
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
es) and
yams were also planted. The
Marquesan
The Marquesas Islands (; french: Îles Marquises or ' or '; Marquesan: ' ( North Marquesan) and ' ( South Marquesan), both meaning "the land of men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in th ...
s, the first settlers from Polynesia, brought ''ʻulu'' (
breadfruit
Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...
) and the
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
ans later introduced the
baking banana. Settlers from Polynesia also brought
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
s and
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
.
Ancient Polynesians sailed the Pacific with
pigs
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
,
chickens
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
, and
Polynesian dogs
The Polynesian Dog refers to a few extinct varieties of domesticated dogs from the islands of Polynesia. These dogs were used for both companionship and food and were introduced alongside poultry and pigs to various islands. They became extinct ...
, and introduced them to the islands. Pigs were raised for
religious sacrifice, and the meat was offered at altars, some of which was consumed by priests and the rest eaten in a mass celebration. The early Hawaiian diet was diverse, and may have included as many as 130 different types of seafood and 230 types of sweet potatoes. Some species of land and sea birds were consumed into extinction. The non-native species may have caused various birds, plants and land snails to go extinct.
Early Polynesian settlers brought along with them clothing, plants and livestock and established settlements along the coasts and larger valleys. Upon their arrival, the settlers grew ''kalo'' (
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 Africa ...
), ''maiʻa'' (
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
), ''niu'' (
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
), and ''ʻulu'' (
breadfruit
Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...
). Meats were eaten less often than fruits, vegetables, and seafood. Some did import and raise ''puaʻa'' (
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
), ''moa'' (
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
), and ''ʻīlio'' (
poi dog).
Ahupua'a
In ancient Hawai'i, communities divided into sections known as Ahupua'a. These were slices of land that typically stretched from the top of the mountain to the ocean. This division gave each community access to all natural resources the land could provide, and allowed each community to be largely self sufficient. This division importantly gave communities access to streams running through the valleys down to the ocean, which allowed for construction of ''lo'i'', irrigated mud patches that were used for ''kalo'' agriculture. In the spaces where the streams met the ocean,
estuaries
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
were adapted to
fish ponds
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
(
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
).
Culinary and cultural traditions
''ʻAwa'' (
Piper methysticum
Kava or kava kava (''Piper (genus), Piper methysticum'': Latin 'pepper' and Latinized Ancient Greek, Greek 'intoxicating') is a crop of the Pacific Islands. The name ''kava'' is from Tongan language, Tongan and Marquesan language, Marquesan, me ...
, kava) is a traditional food among Hawaiians. Breadfruit, sweet potato, kava, and ''heʻe'' (
octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
) are associated with the four major Hawaiian gods:
Kāne
In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne is considered the highest of the three major Hawaiian deities, along with Kū and Lono. He represented the god of procreation and was worshipped as ancestor of chiefs and commoners. Kāne is the creator and gives ...
,
Kū
In Hawaiian religion, Kū is one of the four great gods. The other three are Kanaloa, Kāne, and Lono.
Some feathered god images or ''akua hulu manu'' are considered to represent Kū. Kū is worshiped under many names, including Kū-ka-ili-moku ( ...
,
Lono
In Hawaiian religion, the god Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. In one of the many Hawaiian stories of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. In agricultu ...
and
Kanaloa
In the traditions of ancient Hawaii, Kanaloa is a god symbolized by the squid or by the octopus, and is typically associated with Kāne. It is also an alternative name for the island of Kahoolawe.
In legends and chants, Kāne and Kanaloa are por ...
.
Popular condiments included ''paʻakai'' (
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
), ground
kukui nut
''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah keras'', ''godou'', kukui nut tree, and ''rata ke ...
, ''
limu'' (
seaweed
Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...
), and ''ko'' (
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
) which was used as both a sweet and a medicine.
Men did all of the cooking, and food for women was cooked in a separate ''imu''; afterwards men and women ate meals separately per the ancient ''kapu'' (taboo) of separating the genders for meals. This kapu was abolished in 1819 at the death of
Kamehameha I
Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. T ...
by his wife
Ka'ahumanu. The ancient practice of cooking with the ''imu'' continues for special occasions and is popular with tourists.
''
Thespesia populnea
''Thespesia populnea'', commonly known as the portia tree (), Pacific rosewood, Indian tulip tree, or milo, among other names, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is a tree found commonly on coasts ar ...
'' wood was used to make food bowls.
''
'' was eaten in times of food scarcity. It and the now endangered ''
Cyanea platyphylla'' are known in Hawaiian as ''hāhā.''
There is no fighting when eating from a bowl of ''poi''. It is shared and is connected to the concept because ''Hāloa'' (Taro), the first-born son of the parents who begat the human race.
Hawaiians identify strongly with ''kalo''/taro, so much so that the Hawaiian term for family, ''ʻohana'', is derived from the word ''ʻohā,'' the shoot or sucker which grows from the kalo corm. As young shoots grow from the corm, so people too grow from their family.
Ingredients
Staple ingredients
* ''Kalo'' (
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 Africa ...
) was the primary staple food in the Native Hawaiian diet. The tubers are grown in ''lo`i kalo'', terraced mud patches often utilizing spring-fed or stream irrigation. ''Kalo'' are typically steamed and eaten in chunks or pounded into ''pa`iai'' or ''poi''. Additionally, the leaves are also utilized as wrappings for other foods for steaming.
* ''`Uala'' (
Sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
) was another common staple crop that was introduced by the first Polynesians to voyage to Hawai`i. The potato required much less water to cultivate than ''kalo'', so it was important in regions that lacked sufficient precipitation for construction of ''lo`i kalo''. ''`Uala'' can be prepared in similar ways to ''kalo'', including steaming, boiling, or cooked in an ''imu'' with other foods.
* ''`Ulu'' (
Breadfruit
Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of ''Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippi ...
) was the last of the three staple crops that were introduced to Hawai`i by the Polynesians. ''`Ulu'' fruits grow on trees, unlike the previous two staple crops, ''kalo'' and ''`uala'', which are grown in the ground. These varied agricultural needs allowed the Native Hawaiians to have a good level of resistance and resilience to seasonal changes in precipitation. ''`Ulu'' is a starchy fruit and can be prepared in similar ways to ''`Uala'' and ''Kalo''.
* ''I`a'' (fish) and other seafood such as ''Opihi'' (
limpet
Limpets are a group of aquatic snails that exhibit a conical shell shape (patelliform) and a strong, muscular foot. Limpets are members of the class Gastropoda, but are polyphyletic, meaning the various groups called "limpets" descended indep ...
s) and ''Wana'' (sea urchin) were a large part of the Native Hawaiian diet, as the reef ecosystems surrounding the Hawaiian islands made for an abundant food source. Seafood was largely eaten raw and seasoned with sea salt and ''limu'' (
seaweed
Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of '' Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...
). This preparation gave birth to the now popular dish ''
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 ...
''. The most common fishes eaten by Native Hawaiians were ''aku'' (
skipjack), ''ahi'' (
yellowfin tuna
The yellowfin tuna (''Thunnus albacares'') is a species of tuna found in pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.
Yellowfin is often marketed as ahi, from the Hawaiian language, Hawaiian , a name also used there for the closel ...
), and ''mahi mahi'' (
common dolphinfish).
* ''Hāpuʻu ʻiʻi'', (Hawaiian tree fern) (''
Cibotium menziesii'') is an example of a food endemic to the Hawaiian Islands that was not introduced by the Polynesian voyagers. The uncoiled fronds (fiddles) are eaten boiled. The starchy core of the ferns was considered a famine food or used as pig feed. It was prepared by peeling the young fronds or placing the entire trunk with the starchy center in an
ʻimu or volcanic
steam vent
A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or other rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...
s. A saying was "''He hāpuʻu ka ʻai he ai make''" (If the ''hāpuʻu'' is the food, it is the food of death).
File:Hawaiian fisherman (PP-22-8-001).jpg, Fish were caught in near-shore reefs and tidepools using spears and nets
File:Palau taro patch soil management.jpg, ''Lo`i Kalo'' (taro patches) were used to grow ''Kalo'', the staple of the Hawaiian Diet.
File:Breadfruit 1.jpg, ''`Ulu'' (Breadfruit) were another starchy staple food in the Hawaiian diet.
Royal and celebratory ingredients
Certain foods were eaten primarily by the royalty and nobility. These were also sometimes consumed by common people. These include ''Pua`a'' (pig), ''Moa'' (chicken) and ''`Ilio'' (dog). All of these animals were introduced to Hawai`i, which prior to Polynesian voyagers did not have any large mammals. Pigs were hunted, while chickens and dogs were raised domestically. Animals were slow cooked primarily in ''imu'', or underground ovens made by burying food with hot rocks and banana wood. They were also often cooked by cutting the animal open, filling its body with hot rocks, and wrapping it in ti, banana, and kalo leaves.
Dishes and preparations
Most cooked foods eaten by Native Hawaiians, were prepared either through steaming, boiling, or slow cooking in underground ovens known as ''imu''. Due to their lack of non-flammable cooking vessels, steaming and boiling were achieved by heating rocks in fires and placing the hot rocks in bowls of water. Many other foods, such as fruits and most seafood, were eaten raw.
* ''
Kalua'', pig cooked underground in an imu.
*
''Poi'' (pronounced po-ee) is made from cooked, mashed, and sometimes lightly fermented
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 Africa ...
. It is the starch staple of the native Hawaiian diet.
* ''
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 ...
'' is made with beef, pork, or chicken and salted butterfish wrapped in taro leaves and then ti leaves. It was traditionally prepared in an imu.
*
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 ...
(pronounced po-keh) is a raw marinated fish or other seafood salad (such as
ahi poke
Poke ( Hawaiian for "to slice" or "cut crosswise into pieces"; sometimes anglicised as 'poké' to aid pronunciation) is diced raw fish served either as an appetizer or a main course and is one of the popular dishes in Hawaii. Traditional form ...
or octopus poke). It is made with sea salt, seaweed, ''kukui'' nut oil and in more recent times with soy sauce and sesame oil.
*
Lūʻau
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 puaʻa'' (kālua pig), poke, lomi salmon, ʻopihi, and hau ...
(pronounced Loo-ow) is made with
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
cooked with taro leaves in a pot. It has a creamy consistency. Squid is usually cooked with this dish, but chicken is sometimes substituted for the squid.
* ''
Haupia
Haupia is a Cuisine of Hawaii, traditional coconut milk-based Native Hawaiians, 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 wedding ...
'' (pronounced how-pee-ah) is a flan like dessert made with coconut milk and ground
arrowroot. Cornstarch has become a widespread substitute for the arrowroot.
* ''Ko'ele palau'' (pronounced ko-ele pa-lao) is a dessert made from cooked
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
mashed and mixed with
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
.
* ''
Inamona
Inamona is a condiment or relish used in traditional Hawaiian cooking made from roasted kukui nut (candlenuts) and sea salt. It is sometimes mixed with seaweeds, often accompanying meals. Inamona is often served with fresh fish.
Uses
Inamona is u ...
'' is a traditional
relish
A relish is a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs and is a food item typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a pickled cucumber jam eaten with ho ...
or condiment often accompanied meals and is made of roasted and mashed ''
kukui
''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering plant, flowering tree in the Euphorbia, spurge Family (biology), family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah ker ...
'' nutmeats, and sea salt. It sometimes mixed with
edible seaweed.
* ''
Kulolo'' (pronounced ku-lo-lo) is a pudding dessert made from grated
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 Africa ...
corm and
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
that's baked in an ''
imu IMU may refer to:
Science and technology
* Inertial measurement unit, a device that measures acceleration and rotation, used for example to maneuver modern vehicles including motorcycles, missiles, air- and spacecraft
Businesses and organizations ...
'', having a fudge-like consistency.
* ''Piele'' is another Hawaiian pudding similar to Kulolo, with grated sweet potato or breadfruit mixed with coconut cream and baked.
File:Hawaiian men pounding poi, c. 1890.jpg, Men pounding ''poi'' in 1890
Festivals and special occasions
On important occasions, a traditional ''ʻahaʻaina'' feast was held. When a woman was to have her first child, her husband started raising a pig for the ''ʻahaʻaina mawaewae'' feast that was celebrated for the birth of a child. Besides the pig,
mullet, shrimp,
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
, seaweed, and taro leaves were required for the feast.
[.]
The modern name for such feasts, ''
lūʻau
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 puaʻa'' (kālua pig), poke, lomi salmon, ʻopihi, and hau ...
'', was not used until 1856, replacing the Hawaiian words ''ʻahaʻaina'' and ''pāʻina''. The name ''lūʻau'' came from the name of a food always served at a ''ʻahaʻaina'', young taro tops baked with
coconut milk
Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
and
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
or
octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
.
Pigs and dogs were killed by strangulation or by holding their nostrils shut in order to conserve the animal's blood.
[.] Meat was prepared by flattening out the whole eviscerated animal and broiling it over hot coals, or it was spitted on sticks.
Large pieces of meat, such as fowl, pigs and dogs, would be typically cooked in
earth ovens, or spitted over a fire during ceremonial feasts.
[.]
Hawaiian earth ovens, known as an ''
imu IMU may refer to:
Science and technology
* Inertial measurement unit, a device that measures acceleration and rotation, used for example to maneuver modern vehicles including motorcycles, missiles, air- and spacecraft
Businesses and organizations ...
'', combine
roasting
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelization ...
and
steaming
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking ha ...
in a method called ''
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 ...
''. A pit is dug into earth and lined with
volcanic rock
Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic r ...
s and other rocks that do not split when heated to a high temperature, such as
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
.
[.] A fire is built with
ember
An ember, also called a hot coal, is a hot lump of smouldering solid fuel, typically glowing, composed of greatly heated wood, coal, or other carbon-based material. Embers (hot coals) can exist within, remain after, or sometimes precede, a ...
s, and when the rocks are glowing hot, the embers are removed and the foods wrapped in ''
ti'', ginger or banana leaves are put into the pit, covered with wet leaves, mats and a layer of earth. Water may be added through a
bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
tube to create steam.
The intense heat from the hot rocks cooked food thoroughly—the quantity of food for several days could be cooked at once, taken out and eaten as needed, and the cover replaced to keep the remainder warm.
[.] Sweet potatoes, taro, breadfruit and other vegetables were cooked in the ''imu'', as well as fish.
Saltwater eel
The Congridae are the family of conger and garden eels. Congers are valuable and often large food fishes, while garden eels live in colonies, all protruding from the sea floor after the manner of plants in a garden (thus the name). The family inc ...
was salted and dried before being put into the ''imu''.
[.] Chickens, pigs and
dogs
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
were put into the ''imu'' with hot rocks inserted in the abdominal cavities.
![USMC-101120-M-2339L-058](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/USMC-101120-M-2339L-058.jpg)
''Paʻina'' is the Hawaiian word for a meal and can also be used to refer to a party or feast. One tradition that includes ''paʻina'' is the four-month-long
Makahiki
The Makahiki season is the ancient Hawaiian New Year festival, in honor of the god Lono of the Hawaiian religion.
It is a holiday covering four consecutive lunar months, approximately from October or November through February or March. The focu ...
ancient Hawaiian
Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...
New Year festival in honor of the god
Lono
In Hawaiian religion, the god Lono is associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. In one of the many Hawaiian stories of Lono, he is a fertility and music god who descended to Earth on a rainbow to marry Laka. In agricultu ...
(referred to as the sweet potato god) of the
Hawaiian religion
Hawaiian religion refers to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of native Hawaiians, also known as the kapu system. Hawaiian religion is based largely on the tapu religion common in Polynesia and likely originated among the Tahitian ...
. Makahiki includes a first phase of spiritual cleansing and making ''hookupu'' offerings to the gods.
The Konohiki, a class of royalty that at this time of year provided the service of tax collector, collected agricultural and aquacultural products such as
pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
s,
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 Africa ...
,
sweet potatoes
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young sho ...
, dry fish,
kapa
Kapa is a fabric made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales.
Description and uses
It is similar to ''tapa'' found elsewhere in Polynesia (the Hawaiian phoneme corre ...
and mats. Some offerings were in the form of forest products such as feathers.
The Hawaiian people had no money or other similar medium of exchange. The goods were offered on the altars of Lono at ''
heiau
A ''heiau'' () is a Hawaiian temple. Made in different architectural styles depending upon their purpose and location, they range from simple earth terraces, to elaborately constructed stone platforms. There are heiau to treat the sick (''heia ...
''—temples—in each district around the island. Offerings also were made at the ''ahu'', stone altars set up at the boundary lines of each community. All war was outlawed to allow unimpeded passage of the image of Lono.
The festival proceeded in a clockwise circle around the island as the image of Lono (''Akua Loa'', a long pole with a strip of tapa and other embellishments attached) was carried by the priests. At each ''ahupuaa'' (each community also is called an ''ahupuaa'') the caretakers of that community presented ''hookupu'' to the Lono image, a
fertility god
A fertility deity is a god or goddess associated with fertility, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, and crops. In some cases these deities are directly associated with these experiences; in others they are more abstract symbols. Fertility rites may acc ...
who caused things to grow and who gave plenty and prosperity to the islands.
The second phase of celebration includes:
hula
Hula () is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chant (oli) or song (Mele (Hawaiian language), mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of t ...
dancing, sports (boxing, wrestling,
Hawaiian lava sledding Hawaiian lava sledding ( Hawaiian: hee hōlua, "sled surfing") is a traditional sport of the Native Hawaiians. Similar to wave surfing, hee hōlua involves the use of a narrow ( long, wide) wooden sled (''papa hōlua''). The sled is used standin ...
,
javelin
A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...
marksmanship,
bowling
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...
,
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
, canoe races, relays, and swimming), singing, and feasting. In the third phase, the ''waa auhau'' (tax canoe)was loaded with ''hookupu'' and taken out to sea where it was set adrift as a gift to Lono.
At the end of the Makahiki festival, the chief would go off shore in a
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
. When he came back in he stepped on shore and a group of warriors threw spears at him. He had to deflect or parry the spears to prove his worthiness to continue to rule.
Legacy of traditional Hawaiian cuisine
Native Hawaiian dishes have evolved and been integrated into contemporary
fusion cuisine
Fusion cuisine is cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions, or cultures. They can occur naturally and become aspects of culturally relevant cuisines, or they can be part of ...
.
Native America: A State-by-State Historical Encyclopedia
, Volume 1 edited by Daniel S. Murphree page 271 Apart from ''lūau'' for tourists, native Hawaiian cuisine is less common than other ethnic cuisine in parts of Hawaii, but restaurants such as Helena's Hawaiian Food and Ono Hawaiian Foods specialize in traditional Hawaiian food.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wuyTcvs1eDIC&pg=PA258&dq=native+hawaiian+cuisine+today&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hPd6U_edH4yUqAb6moKwCQ&ved=0CGcQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=native%20hawaiian%20cuisine%20today&f=false Honolulu, Waikiki and O'Ahu by Sara Benson, Scott Kennedy]
See also
* Cuisine of Hawaii
* List of Hawaiian dishes
This is a list of dishes in Hawaiian cuisine, which includes Native Hawaiian cuisine and the broader fusion Cuisine of Hawaii. The Cuisine of Hawaii refers to the indigenous, ethnic, and local cuisines within the diverse state of Hawaii.
Meals
...
* List of regional dishes of the United States
The cuisine of the United States includes many regional or local dishes, side dishes and foods. This list includes dishes and foods that are associated with specific regions of the United States.
__TOC__
Regional dishes of the United States
...
References
Bibliography
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{{refend
Hawaiian cuisine
Polynesian cuisine