Mac salad is a staple side dish in Hawaii. Our version is unique to the islands, often a bit tangy and loaded with add-ins like kamaboko and ‘ulu (breadfruit).
Mac salad (with chicken katsu and rice) at Gochi Grill (Oahu)
We love to eat mac salad in Hawaii….
Opihi is a Hawaiian delicacy. It’s a limpet that lives on seaside rocks (they are notoriously hard to pry off). Remove the shell and eat them raw or cooked.
Cleaning and eating raw opihi at home
These tiny gems are often called “baby abalone.”…
Helena’s Hawaiian Food is an iconic restaurant, famous for traditional Hawaiian food. Helena’s is loved by locals and visitors. It’s a must-try when in Hawaii!
Welcome to Helena’s Hawaiian Food!…
Lau lau is a Hawaiian dish made of pork and butterfish wrapped in lu’au leaves and ti leaves. Lau lau is steamed and eaten with rice and poi. It’s a real treat!
Lau Lau at Helena’s Hawaiian Food (Oahu)
It doesn’t look like much, but lau lau is one of my favorite Hawaiian dishes….
Spam Musubi is a famous Hawaii snack made from Spam, rice, and nori. It’s portable, affordable, and tasty! It’s the most popular way to eat Spam in Hawaii.
Spam (with Egg, Avocado, and Unagi!) Musubi at Musubi Cafe Iyasume (Oahu)
What’s Hawaii’s favorite snack?…
POG stands for Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava! It’s a chilled fruit juice that was invented on the island of Maui, and is now popular worldwide.
Aloha Maid POG juice
You’ll recognize POG by that happy orange-pink color….
Costco is a big deal in Hawaii. Everyone loves Costco because they do a great job stocking the local, Hawaii-only eats! Here’s what to get at Costco Hawaii.
The famous macadamia nuts at Costco Hawaii
There’s no place like Costco on a Sunday morning in Hawaii….
Waiola Shave Ice is a famous shave ice store in Hawaii. They have all the classics flavors, plus Hawaii-only treats like li hing mui, lychee, and lilikoi!
Li hing mui and lilikoi with snowcap at Waiola Shave Ice
Look for the blue store on the corner of Waiola and Paani Street….
Poi is the staple starch of Hawaiian food. Made from the root of the taro (kalo) plant, it’s sticky, sweet, and a bit sour. It’s a Hawaii must-try food.
Fresh bags of poi, still warm!
Purple and sticky. Sweet and Sour. What is this?…
Shave ice is a popular Hawaii dessert made from shaving blocks of ice and topping it with fruit syrups. Here’s how to eat it, make it, and where to get it!
Pineapple shave ice with li hing mui powder at Kaimana Shave Ice (Oahu)
First things first: it’s Shave Ice not Shaved Ice….
Hawaiian Plate #7 at Yama’s Fish Market
Li hing mui powder