Saturday, February 28, 2009

Hawaiian Foods that Please

By charlie reese

It is not surprising that tourists flock to the islands that make up Hawaii. The friendly people, beach life and sunshine are attractive features. Visitors want to eat well too and Hawaiian food never disappoints. Seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables are plentiful and the cuisine is known for its fusion due to the different ethnic groups that have emigrated here. There are many influences, such as American, Polynesian, Filipino, Portuguese and Chinese.

The Plate Lunch is a common inclusion on the menu and is a traditional dish comprising of white rice, American style Macaroni Salad and a meat entre with Asian or American ingredients. Islanders have a sweet tooth and enjoy Poi, a Polynesian staple, prepared from the Taro plant. The local pineapple industry contributes greatly to the economy. Other favorite staples are coconut, breadfruit, passion fruit, papaya, mango bread and Portuguese Sweet Bread. Sometimes, the local people like their Hawaiian food to be cooked in an Imu, which is a traditional earth oven.

Eating out is all part of the experience on the islands. The first ever restaurant was opened by a Portuguese man in the capital, Honolulu in 1849. If visitors want to eat like the locals, they could choose Spam. This immensely popular food was introduced by US servicemen during World War II. It's usually fried and accompanied by rice, or deep-fried or stir-fried with cabbage. It can also be mashed in tofu or served with Baked Macaroni and Cheese. If served at breakfast time, it's eaten with fried eggs. Another popular meat dish is strips of beef, marinated in sauce.

Fish is an important part of the diet and contributes to the healthy element in Hawaiian food. Tuna is the most versatile and is grilled or sauted. It is also eaten raw as Sashimi in the Japanese style. Other common catches are Red Snapper, Pink Snapper, Pacific Blue Marlin, Swordfish, and the Wahoo.

To flavor the food, Hawaiians favor the Japanese sauce, Teriyaki or Wasabi, a kind of Japanese horseradish. The Chinese influence can be seen in the common usage of Chinese Five Spice Powder and Soy Sauce. There are plenty of desserts to choose from in Hawaiian food, including Kulolo, made from taro corms and coconut. A chocolate cake, known as Chantilly Cakes, is also popular.

Drinks to accompany the food are often in the form of some kind of fruit juice whilst rum is the most popular alcohol cocktail. Hawaii does, however, have a growing wine and micro brewing beer industry.

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