Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [43]
GO FISH
Fresh sashimi-grade ahi for $10 per pound? You’re not dreaming. Perhaps that’s why locals eat twice as much seafood as the per-capita US national average. Ahi is the local favorite for eating raw, but mahimahi and ono are also popular for cooking.
The Hawai′i Seafood Buyers’ Guide (www.hawaii-seafood.org) is a fascinating, one-stop resource (whether you’re interested in the catching, the selecting or, of course, the eating of island fish).
The species most commonly eaten in Hawaii:
ahi – yellowfin or bigeye tuna, red flesh, excellent raw or rare
aku – skipjack tuna, red flesh, strong flavor; katsuo in Japanese
′ama′ama – mullet, delicate white flesh
awa – milkfish, tender white flesh
kajiki – Pacific blue marlin; a′u in Hawaiian
mahimahi – dolphin fish or dorado, firm pink flesh, popular cooked
moi – threadfish, flaky white flesh, rich flavor
monchong – pomfret, mild flavor, firm pinkish-white flesh
nairage – striped marlin; a′u in Hawaiian
′o′io – bonefish
onaga – red snapper, soft and moist; ′ula′ula in Hawaiian
ono – wahoo, white-fleshed and flaky
opah – moonfish, firm and rich
′opakapaka – pink snapper, delicate flavor, premium quality
′opelu – mackerel scad, pan-sized, delicious fried
papio – jack fish; also called ulua
shutome – swordfish, succulent and meaty
tako – octopus, chewy texture; he′e in Hawaiian
tombo – albacore tuna, light flesh, mild flavor, silky texture
* * *
If restaurant dining is inconvenient, no problem: eating outdoors is among the simplest and best island pleasures. Pack finger foods for a picnic, stop for smoothies at roadside stands, and order plate lunches or fish wraps at patio counters. If you really want to act local, buy a goza (inexpensive roll-up straw mat sold at ABC Stores and Longs Drugs) and set up your cooler and fixings at the best nearby park. Accommodations with full kitchens are convenient for eat-in breakfasts, especially if you stock up on fruit at farmers markets.
The food itself should pose little trouble, as grocers stock mainstream national brands. A kid who eats nothing but Honey Nut Cheerios will not go hungry here. But the local diet, with its variety of cuisines and plethora of sweet treats, will probably tempt kids away from mainstream habits.
At hotel luau, kids receive a discount (and sometimes free admission when accompanied by a paying adult). Commercial luau might seem like cheesy Vegas shows to adults, but kids will probably enjoy the flashy dances and fire tricks.
Return to beginning of chapter
EAT YOUR WORDS
Food Glossary
Hawaii cuisine is multiethnic and so is the lingo. In addition to this glossary, see the Language (Click here) and Glossary (Click here) chapters for pidgin and Hawaiian pronunciation tips.
adobo – Filipino chicken or pork cooked in vinegar, shōyu, garlic and spices
arare – shōyu-flavored rice crackers; also called kaki mochi
′awa – kava, a native plant used to make an intoxicating drink
bentō – Japanese-style box lunch
broke da mout – delicious; literally ‘broke the mouth’
char siu – Chinese barbecued pork
crack seed – Chinese-style preserved fruit; a salty, sweet and/or sour snack
donburi – meal-sized bowl of rice and main dish
furikake – a catch-all Japanese seasoning or condiment, usually dry and sprinkled atop rice; in Hawaii, sometimes used for poke
grind – to eat
grinds – food; see ′ono kine grinds
guava – fruit with green or yellow rind, moist pink flesh and lots of edible seeds
haupia – coconut-cream dessert
hulihuli chicken – rotisserie-cooked chicken
imu – underground earthen oven used to cook kalua pig and other luau food
inamona – roasted and ground kukui (candlenut), used to flavor poke
izakaya – a Japanese pub serving tapas-style dishes
kalo – Hawaiian word for taro
kalua – Hawaiian method of cooking pork and other luau food in an imu
kaukau – food
kamaboko – cake of puréed, steamed fish; used to garnish Japanese dishes
katsu – Japanese deep-fried cutlets, usually