If you’re planning your first trip to Hawaii, you will undoubtedly want to visit a luau or two while you’re there. A luau is a traditional Hawaiian feast that also features music, dancing, and entertainment. The luau has an interesting history. It was established in 1819 by King Kamehameha the Second as a way of declaring an end to ancient religious taboos against men and women eating meals together and against eating certain kinds of foods that were deemed to be reserved only for special occasions. Now, luaus are held for all sorts of celebrations, like birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries, as well as just for fun. If you’re wondering what sorts of special foods you might be able to try when you visit a luau, here’s a short list of some of the most commonly featured foods.
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Lau Lau. This is the dish that gave the luau its name, so you can expect to see it at pretty much any luau you attend. It can be made with either chicken or pork, or even salted beef. The steamed meat is wrapped with taro leaves and cooked with coconut milk. Also, squid luau is sometimes served as a side dish.
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Kalua Pig. If you envision any particular dish when you think of a luau, this is probably the one. In a traditional Hawaiian luau, this is a whole pig seasoned with liquid smoke and sea salt and roasted over an open flame in a pit outside. If you’re attending a luau at someone’s home or in a smaller space, you may see an oven version of this dish, usually several pounds of pork butt roasted in an oven or slow cooker. This is tasty too, but if you have the chance, definitely try to get to a luau where you can try some of the whole, flame roasted pig.
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Huli Huli Chicken. These chicken breasts, thighs, and wings are coated with a mixture of pineapple juice, white wine, chicken broth, soy sauce, ginger, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce before being grilled to perfection.
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Lomi Lomi Salmon. This delicious fish dish is served cold. It’s made by combining diced salmon fillets with tomatoes, onions, Tabasco sauce, lime juice, and sugar, giving it a sweet and hot flavor.
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Side Dishes. Some of the most common sides you’ll see at a luau include poi, which is made by boiling and pounding taro roots and then mixing them with water until smoothed, and baked sweet potatoes served with butter.
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Desserts. A luau wouldn’t be a luau without an array of fresh fruits to choose from, often served with a sweet sauce for dipping. Pineapples, papaya, watermelon, grapes, melons, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, lychee, apples and coconuts are all served on their own, and may be incorporated into many other desserts as well. You may also see Hawaiian ambrosia, a mixture of fruits, marshmallows, and whipped cream, topped with cherries, and treats like coconut pie or Haupia, a kind of coconut pudding.
Pictured Ahi Limu Pork….
Are you hungry yet? If so, that’s just another good reason to plan a trip to Hawaii and make sure that you take in a luau while you’re there.
