When asked, “what do you miss most about Hawaiʻi?” the first thought that comes to my mind is food. With Hawaiʻi being so diverse in cultures, there’s no denying the fact that we truly do live up to our label of the “melting pot” state. With such diversity found in Hawaiʻi, there’s no surprise that Hawaiʻi is home to some of the best local foods, or as kamaʻaina* like to call it, local grinds. These local grinds are not only delicious, but are the perfect combination of diversity, cultures, and of course, the aloha spirit. Three local grinds that are Hawaiʻi favorites, as well as my favorites, are acai bowls, poke bowls, and shave ice.
Acai bowls are a sorbet-like mixture of blended acai berries, fruits, and liquids topped with various toppings such as sliced fruits, granola, honey, toasted coconut, chocolate and yogurt chips, condensed milk, cookie dough, etc. The types of toppings on an acai bowl really depends on where you go and your taste preferences. My go-to and one of my favorite places to get an acai bowl from before church or after a sunrise hike is Diamond Head Cove Health Bar. My favorite is “Da Hawaiian” acai bowl which consists of acai topped with granola, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, honey, bee pollen, and paʻiʻai (hand-pounded taro).
Poke bowls are raw, cubed ʻahi (Hawaiian tuna) fish mixed in various sauces consisting of ingredients such as shoyu (soy sauce), green and yellow onions, chili pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and limu (seaweed), just to name a few, served over a bed of hot rice. The ingredients in the sauces depends on the style and type of poke you like and prefer. My two favorite types of poke are spicy ʻahi and shoyu ʻahi. Spicy ʻahi is mixed with mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, tobiko (flying fish roe), and green and yellow onions. Shoyu ʻahi is mixed with shoyu, green and yellow onions, chili pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.
Shave ice is finely-shaved ice with flavored syrups poured on top with various toppings and add-ins such as ice cream, azuki (Japanese vine) beans, mochi (Japanese rice cake) balls, condensed milk, li hing mui (salty, dried plum) powder, creamy haupia (coconut pudding), and much more. My favorite flavors of shave ice are any cream-based syrups with condensed milk topping.
If you ever find yourself vacationing in Hawaiʻi, remember to try these local favorites!
*kamaʻaina – a long-term resident of Hawaiʻi
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I agree with this post a lot. Not only is Hawaii diverse but it is also so different from Oregon. The main thing i miss about home is the food! Food is so different in Oregon and the thought of not having rice every single day with a side of poke and furikake kills me. Even if Oregon had a shave ice or acai bowl store, it would be so hard to go and eat there because i would be freezing inside and out. I feel that in Hawaii everything feels so much more colorful and warm. That is just my thought but reading this post really made me miss home and no one does it better than Hawaii.
The cultures of the world are always amazing. Each has its distinguishing characteristics and traditions. It’s interesting to see that many of the cultures of the world hold traditional food as something unique and characteristic to that culture. Being Hispanic, namely Mexican, makes me identify heavily with traditional Mexican cuisine. To us, our food is very important and to stop eating it would be like neglecting our culture and heritage as a whole. On a personal note, something that I need to do is explore new cultures and have new experiences. That includes trying new meals. Perhaps someday I’ll indulge in a delicious Acai bowl by a nice beach somewhere in Hawai’i.
If there is one thing that sets apart a culture is its food! Every culture has various dishes that are the signature dish for that group. I believe that one of the factors that makes this true is that all cultures and groups create dishes that are representative of that area. Different regions have different foods available, thus resulting in the ingredients used in the most typical foods for that group.
Just like you, Sharycee, missing your favorite foods from Hawai’i, I have the same feeling towards my favorite meals from Mexico. While I may be with my family and we can make the delicious homemade food I love, the quality and taste of the ingredients used in our meals here cannot begin to compare to that of the ingredients in Mexico. The flavors are more authentic, natural, and delicious!
The cultures of the world are always amazing. Everyone has its own characteristics and cultures. It’s pretty cool to see that many of the cultures of the world have traditional food as something special and distinct to that culture.