*This story was originally published on Jun. 24, 2015 Where did the Spam musubi originate? What does “manapua” mean? We traced the history of five Hawaiʻi comfort food favorites all the way back to their earliest origins to decipher the roots of their modern-day multicultural appeal. Malasadas These chewy, steamed or baked buns, filled […]
(Editor’s Note: Mochi Do Hawaiʻi closed in 2021.) If you haven’t heard of mochi doughnuts, maybe you haven’t been to a bakery or farmers market lately. These chewy versions of the fried dough confection, made with sweet rice flour (mochiko), is popping up everywhere, from Seattle to Houston to Canada. In Hawaiʻi, several bakeries have
When you think of watermelons, you probably think of the typical round, pink-fleshed summer fruit. I do, too, so I was surprised to learn that watermelons can have bright yellow flesh. Depending on who you ask, yellow watermelons might be just as sweet or sweeter than traditional pink ones. Sakda Meephol, who farms on 50 acres
Some of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved restaurants have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Top of Waikīkī, Like Like Drive Inn, Nobu Honolulu, Dillingham Saimin, Da Kitchen on Maui, Art Café Hemingway on Kaua’i. More than 50 restaurants have already closed—and counting. (For an updated list of restaurants that have closed in Hawaiʻi, click here.) Town, a
Before researching for this cookbook, author Adrienne Robillard was more of a camping griller—hot dogs, hamburgers, the usual backyard fare. (She’s not a fan of lighting a grill.) But when she set out to write “The ʻOhana Grill Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Hawaiʻi-Inspired Recipes from BBQ Chicken to Kalbi Short Ribs” (Ulysses Press, 2020), she
It’s not quite lunchtime and there’s already a line forming outside a small window on Mokauea Street in the industrial part of Kalihi. And no one here needs a menu. The loyal customers of Alicia’s Market, a former grocery store that started serving poke when it opened in 1949, know exactly what they want, whether
Ingredients: 5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs Shoyu Chicken Sauce: 1 cup Aloha shoyu ¾ cup sugar 2 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 ½ tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce 1 ½ teaspoon minced garlic 1 oz peeled ginger Slurry (to thicken): 3 tablespoon flour 3 tablespoon water Directions: 1.Mix
Starchy and addicting. That’s how I describe poi and kūlolo, two Hawaiian staple dishes made from kalo (taro). Poi, which is made from a mixture of cooked kalo and water, starts off sweet and sours as it ferments. It also has a starchy taste and a puddling-like texture. Depending on where you get it from,
The story of Hala Tree Coffee started with a vacation to Hawaiʻi Island. In 2012, Jean and Danielle Orlowski jumped on a plane to the Big Island for a weeklong—and much-needed—vacation. Jean, who worked for a futures and option broker for about 20 years on Wall Street, was burnt out. The couple immediately fell in
This year may just be the year of peak poke. As far east as New York City, you’ll find hip restaurants and lunch counters slinging bowls of the seasoned cubed fish, piled high with every topping under the sun, from boiled soybeans to crunchy puffed rice. More often than not, these teeming bowls are starkly
It’s not a beach day without something to snack on. And you can’t just bring any snack, either. Nothing that melts or spoils—so chocolate-covered mac nuts and poke bowls are out. Here are our picks for grab-and-go snacks that are sure to satisfy—and will last an entire day at the beach. Coconut Chips, Foodland
A decade ago, Watermark Publishing, our magazine’s sister company, published a book that became the go-to resource to understanding Hawai’i’s unique culinary history. And I loved it because it was filled with Island-style recipes! But “Kau Kau: Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands” by Hilo-based writer Arnold Hiura had been out of print for years—until
