Summer, sun, good mood and lightness, delicious food, we find all this on Hawaii . Tropical beaches, warm sea and of course typical Hawaiian BBQ - how could summer be more beautiful? But even away from the grill, the beautiful islands in the Pacific have a lot to offer gourmets. Come with us on a culinary tour through the most popular holiday destination not only for Americans and discover the sometimes surprising but always delicious influences from a history of more than a thousand years.
Hawaii – a (not only) culinary hotspot
It is believed that the Hawaiian Islands were first settled by Polynesian sailors around the year 800. Over the centuries, the local culture merged with ever new influences from the outside world. From Captain Cook, through the integration into the USA to the arrival of Asian immigrants, Hawaiian culture has always been a melting pot of experiments and fusion. This eventful history is also reflected in the Hawaiian cuisine again, with its numerous influences from Japan and Polynesia to the US West Coast.
Although many typical Hawaiian ingredients, such as the leaf of the taro plant, which is almost ubiquitous on the islands, are still almost impossible to buy here, with a few tips and tricks you too can enjoy authentic Hawaiian soul food from your own home kitchen:
Lūʻau – American BBQ in Hawaiian style
American BBQ is a must in summer – this is just as true in Hawaii as it is on the mainland. However, beef is not very common here. This is no surprise given the limited pastureland on the many small islands. Instead, at Hawaiian BBQs, it is traditionally mainly pork and chicken on the plates, together with Fish and local fruits like mango or pineapple .
Of course, Hawaiian Lūʻau but only one of many delicious variations of the classic American BBQ. If you want to learn more about how the grill fans in North Carolina , Memphis or Kansas City If you prefer your meat nice and smoky on the dinner table, then just read our blog on the subject and let your mouth water:
➡️ Read the blog “AMERICAN BBQ – MORE THAN JUST GRILLING”
Kālua puaʻa – suckling pig in Hawaiian
Hawaii is world-famous (besides flower garlands and traditional hula dances) above all for its local version of our suckling pig: Kālua puaʻa . Unlike in Europe, where the piglet is traditionally smoked and roasted on a spit over an open fire, in Hawaii a much more spartan cooking style is used, which is also used in a modified form in other places in the USA (eg in Texas). Instead of balancing it over an open fire, the Hawaiians wrap their suckling pig traditionally in fire-resistant plants (e.g. palm leaves ) and bury it together with glowing coals in a Earth pit , where it cooks slowly and gently for several hours with indirect heat and smoke, just as the Polynesians did for thousands of years.
Huli-huli Chicken – Half Chicken in Hawaiian Style
Not only with us Grilled chickens , skewered in masses and rotating over an open flame, are not only a common but also a popular sight. In Hawaii, this version of grilled chicken is called Huli-huli Chicken . As a relatively new addition to the Hawaiian grill menu, Huli-huli chicken dates back to the 1950s. But even without the long tradition of its Polynesian-originated competitors, Huli-huli chicken is a culinary delicacy of a special kind, after all the recipe Its inventor even earned the post of honorary vice-consul of Portugal.
The chicken is slowly over an open fire grilled and rotated regularly to ensure even cooking and a smoky, crispy skin. Before serving, the chicken is coated with a tincture of pineapple juice , ketchup , soy sauce , Honey , brown sugar and Garlic marinated. If you want to try the authentic taste for yourself, we recommend you grab the Hawaiian Grille Sauce by Stonewall Kitchen . The recipe is based directly on the traditional Huli-huli marinade and transforms even German grilled chicken into authentic Hawaiian delicacies in no time.
➡️ Buy Hawaiian Grille Sauce from Stonewall Kitchen
By the way: Huli-huli Chicken got its name because the waiting barbecue fans at big parties traditionally shouted “Huli!” when they thought it was time for the grill master to turn the delicious chicken.
Poke & Some – Asian flair for hot summer days
If you don't feel like standing at the grill with all the sun and warmth, then Hawaiian cuisine has some very special delicacies in store for you.
Poke is a traditional fish salad , which has now also become very popular internationally and has even achieved the status of a unofficial national dish The versatile and individually adaptable recipe is a typical example of the Hawaiian fusion cuisine and combines Japanese, Polynesian and American influences to create a harmonious taste experience of a special kind. The version from the bowl, colloquially known as Poke Bowls .
The base is a bowl cooked rice . This can be topped with individual toppings according to taste. Traditionally, this includes seafood, especially raw tuna , Salmon , fish eggs or octopus (here often under his Japanese name as Tako referred to), fruits and vegetables, such as pineapple , Avocados , cucumbers , carrots or soy sprouts and other seasonings like sesame seeds or Nori leaves . The bowl is topped with a mostly soy based sauce, preferably with a certain kick of spice with Sriracha . To enjoy, simply mix all the ingredients well in the bowl and you have a super tasty snack from Hawaii that can be enjoyed lukewarm in summer weather.
➡️ Buy Sriracha Teriyaki Sauce from Stonewall Kitchen
Another popular food in Hawaii for hot summer days are the Japan Some noodles, which are also available here in Germany, glass noodles are traditionally eaten cold – that is, after cooking, they are placed in cold water (traditionally even in running water in specially made bamboo troughs) – and then simply placed in a soy or teriyaki sauce based dip. A refreshing snack for hot summer days and quick and easy to make yourself.
➡️ Buy Teriyaki Sauces from Stonewall Kitchen
Chi Chi & Co. – sparkling through the summer with fruity cocktails
On our culinary short trip to Hawaii, a refreshing cocktail The “traditional” national drink of the Hawaiians is undisputed Chi Chi . The mix of pineapple juice , coconut milk and Vodka has long been the islanders’ favorite drink.
But with the variety of local fruits, other typical tropical cocktails are also an essential part of the beaches of the Hawaiian islands. Do you want to bring some of this tropical feeling home? Then try our practical Drink Mixer from Stonewall Kitchen . With the ready-mixes and spirits of your choice, delicious summer cocktails from Margarita and Sangria until Piña Colada can be mixed quickly and easily at your own bar.
These practical mixers and everything else you need for the perfect cocktail need (from ice cubes until straws ) can be found in our webshop :
Good taste is always worth a trip
Are you now in the mood for a (at least culinary) short vacation? Then we have a very special souvenir in store for your luggage:
With the Grilling & Barbecue Collection Gift Set by Stonewall Kitchen we have selected for you some of the most popular treats from our Top 10 of the most delicious grill and BBQ sauces from Stonewall Kitchen compiled.
➡️ Buy the Grilling & Barbecue Collection gift set from Stonewall Kitchen
Included is the delicious Hawaiian Grille Sauce for your own traditional Hawaiian BBQ. And if you like to travel a little further in terms of taste, the gift set also offers you the typical American variants Honey BBQ and Baby Back Rib , which tastes at least as good with pork, chicken & co.
