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The staple of the Hawaiian diet, poi is made by pounding to a paste the corm of the taro or kalo plant – a task that is strictly a male preserve. Traditional Hawaiians believe their culture to be descended from a kalo plant, signifying the symbolic importance of this food.

The centerpiece of any lū’au , or feast, is the whole pig, slowroasted (kālua) in an underground oven – an imu . The meat literally falls from the bones. The same cooking method works equally well with turkey, squash, and sweet potatoes.

Meat, two scoops of rice, and macaroni salad. Those are the three essential elements of the plate lunch. Sold on every street corner in Hawai’i, it represents the melding of cultures, and the meat comes in many varieties, from teriyaki beef to pork and variously prepared chicken.

The primary Japanese culinary influences are sashimi (sliced raw fish) and sushi (raw fish, shellfish, or vegetables, served on top of, or rolled with, rice). Poke , the Hawaiian for diced or chopped, is Hawai’i’s version of Tahitian poisson cru and Latin American ceviche . These delicious raw fish-based dishes are available everywhere from fine dining restaurants to local supermarkets.

Few meals in Hawai’i are served without rice, and those that are usually come with noodles. Indeed, noodles in hot broth with pork and green onions is a common dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and leftover dinner rice often reappears as fried rice for the next day’s breakfast.

Fresh from the oven and slathered with creamy butter is the best way to enjoy this wonderful bread, brought by Hawai’i’s Portuguese immigrants. Originally baked in outdoor brick ovens, it is now available at markets throughout the islands. Every family in Hawai’i, whether of Portuguese heritage or not, has its own Portuguese bean soup recipe. Brimming with beans, meat, and vegetables, it can be a hearty meal unto itself, especially when accompanied by a thick slice of sweet bread.

Brought by Hawai’i’s Korean immigrants, kimchee is simply pickled cabbage, but for those who love hot – that is, VERY HOT – flavors, it is a “must try.” Traditionally, the cabbage is stored in tightly sealed jars and buried in the ground, then dug up as and when needed.

Mango, papaya, guava, liliko’i (passion fruit), bananas, and, of course, pineapple. Pure and simple right off the tree, blended into a delicious fruit smoothie, or transformed into an amazing dessert, these are truly paradisiacal flavors.

It has other names in other places – snow cone is one – but it is simply small chips of ice, flavored with one or more of myriad syrups, served in a paper cone. Cool and refreshing on a hot summer day, the rainbow variety shave ice has become a virtual symbol of Hawai’i.

Yes, it’s true. One of the most maligned foods in history is one of Hawai’i’s most popular and beloved. Canned Spiced Ham (SPAM) was originally known as a military staple since it’s easy to keep for long periods of time. It is, perhaps, the large military presence in Hawai’i that first accounted for its curious popularity in the islands.