A Taste of Hawaii
One of the summer food favourites of recent years has been the Poke Bowl Craze. But where did it come from and how do you make it and what makes Poke so popular?
In case you were wondering, the correct way to pronounce Poke is “poh-kay’. The dish has its origins in Hawaii where Poke means chunk. Originally, fishermen would take their fresh catch, especially tuna, and remove the fish bones before chunking the fish. Then, they would eat it raw, only adding some seaweed and nuts, creating the traditional poke. Today a wide range of fish and meat, especially chicken, make up the modern Poke’s popularity. Although this is a Hawaiian dish, in fact it is very similar to the Japanese Chirashi Bowl or even the Buddha Bowl.
Other Tastes of Hawaii
Laulau - Traditionally laulau is made with pork wrapped in layers of taro leaves and cooked in an underground hot rock oven for hours until it turns soft and smoky flavoured. The meat is tender and juicy while the leaves turn to a spinach like consistency.
Kalua Pig - Cooked in an underground oven, the pork slow roasts so it becomes extremely tender and retains a remarkable smoky flavour. Kalua pig is similar to southern American pulled pork, but instead of the tangy barbecue sauce it has a pungent wood smoke flavour. Kalua pig goes brilliantly with a nice big pile of rice!
Lomi Salmon - Lomi salmon is not originally native to Hawaii but was brought over from other Pacific islands. The dish is now part of most traditional Hawaiian meals.Raw tuna grade salmon is cured with salt and diced up along with tomatoes, onions, and normally some chili peppers.