Hawaii Food Guide

You can’t beat a classic, and Loco Moco is a Hawaiian classic. This local comfort food is found on menus across the islands. You will find a version of Loco Moco everywhere, from hole-in-the-wall eateries to five-star restaurants. A typical Loco Moco is a fresh hamburger patty, topped with fried eggs with rich, brown gravy, on a bed of white rice. The dish is often eaten for breakfast, but you can get it at any time of day. To fully experience the flavor, break the eggs first and get a little of everything in each bite.

Originating in Portugal, these sugary, no-hole doughnuts have been lovingly adapted in Hawaii. Malasadas were initially saved for Fat Tuesday celebrations, but these days, they are an everyday sweet treat. The traditional Malasada is yeasted, deep-fried dough rolled in sugar, always round. However, you will never find a hole in the center, after all, this isn’t a donut. The best Malasadas manage to be both chewy and light simultaneously. They are served warm with a fluffy interior and a crisp outside. You will find that nearly every place specializing in Malasadas does cream and fruit-filled versions, make sure to try one! These filled versions, including haupia cream, guava, lilikoi, and chocolate, are actually a Hawaii innovation. They were pioneered as “malasada puffs” at places like the iconic Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu.

Kalua is a traditional type of cooking in Hawaiian culture. It’s a process that involves cooking in an underground oven called an imu. For Kalua Pig, the whole pig, seasoned only with Hawaiian sea salt, is placed inside the large underground pit. Hot lava rocks, heated for two to three hours beforehand, line the pit and are also placed inside the pig’s cavity to cook it from the inside out. The pig is then wrapped in banana leaves and ti leaves before being buried under layers of more leaves and earth to cook for seven to eight hours. The characteristic flavor of Kalua Pig comes from the hardwood smoke, but more importantly, the use of ti leaves to wrap the meat. The flavor of the ti leaf is what sets Kalua Pig apart from other methods of cooking a whole hog slowly using a hardwood fire. The meat is tender, juicy, smokey, flavorful, and a Hawaiian classic. Kalua Pork is usually spooned over a bed of savory sticky white rice and enjoyed with friends. Foods cooked in the kalua style are considered a delicacy and are typically served at luaus because the preparation is time consuming.

Poi holds a uniquely sacred place in Hawaiian culture, and while similar taro preparations exist across Polynesia, Hawaiian poi made from kalo is deeply intertwined with Hawaiian identity and spirituality. This makes the dish important to the islands’ people and the preservation of their culture. Poi is a nutritious, starchy dish made from the taro plant. It becomes a thick, sticky paste that is purple in color. It is often served alongside Kalua Pork at major Hawaiian events. This healthy dish is known to lower cholesterol and is a great source of calcium and vitamin B. The Polynesians brought the taro plant to the Hawaiian Islands around the year 450, and it is one of the oldest crops in Hawaii. Poi has become a sacred part of Hawaiian life due to its association with the story of Haloa, the very first Hawaiian. Haloa was born of the sky and the earth and came to the islands as a kalo or taro plant.

Manapua is a delicious filled bun, its name comes from the Hawaiian phrase mea ʻono puaʻa, meaning “delicious pork thing,” though today’s versions come in many flavors. It’s a direct descendant of the Chinese bao or steamed pork bun. The Hawaiian edition is a much larger portion, but the delightful sweet pork filling and steamed bun haven’t changed much since they came over with Cantonese immigrants in the 19th century. The Hawaiian Islands’ local take on traditional bao can either be baked or steamed. Manapua is available at dedicated manapua shops, bakeries, convenience stores, and grocery stores throughout Hawaii. Iconic spots include Chun Wah Kam, Royal Kitchen, and Char Hung Sut. It comes in various flavors, including traditional Char Siu, Kalua Pork, Curry Chicken, Portuguese Sausage, and Vegetarian. There are even sweet Manapua flavors, including the must-try Black Sugar, Coconut, or Okinawan Sweet Potato.