Asian Food Primer: Hawaiian Food

by David Johnson

Settled by Polynesians between A.D. 300 and 600, Hawaiian cooking features seafood, tropical fruits, vegetables, and meats. Hawaiian cuisine has much in common with those on other Pacific islands. Asian and American settlers brought their own cooking, which has enriched the island's cuisine. A luau, a traditional feast often featuring roast pork, has become a tourist favorite.

Common ingredients:

pork, seafood, chicken, coconut, pineapple, Macadamia nuts, tropical fruit, vegetables

oven kalua pork; guava barbecued pork ribs; Polynesian bread with banana, pineapples, and nuts; fish fillets; pip kaula (steak strips marinated in sugar, ginger, garlic and spices); Macadamia cream pie

More Information:

• Infoplease Atlas: Hawaii
• State Profile: Hawaii