Hawaiian Food and Drink

Traditional Hawai’ian cuisine blends flavors from the islands of Hawai’i with influences from nearby destinations in the Pacific Ocean. Expect to dine on fresh seafood and tropical produce. On your next visit to Hawai’i, make sure you sample these dishes.

Poi

Poi is a traditional starch dish in Hawai’ian cuisine. Made from taro root, the dish is either steamed or baked, then pounded into a thick paste. Expect to see poi as a side dish.

Poke

Poke is a diced raw fish dish typically prepared using tuna and topped with ingredients like onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce and seaweed. Poke bowls are popular at restaurants around the country, but the original came from Hawai’i.

Plate Lunch

Plate lunch combines many popular Hawai’ian dishes into one meal. The traditional offering typically consists of two scoops of white rice, macaroni salad and an entrée like kalua pork, lomi lomi salmon or lau lau.

Haupia

The traditional coconut-milk dessert has a consistency similar to pudding or gelatin. The dessert is often served at luaus.

Cocktails

When you think of a vacation in Hawai’i, you may envision yourself relaxing on a beach with a tropical drink in your hand. If this is the case, try a Mai Tai (rum, lime, orange Curaçao and Orgeat syrup) or a Blue Hawai’i (rum, pineapple juice, Blue Curaçao and sour mix).