Travel

How to eat your way around Hawaii

Jun 05, 2017

Hawaii is known for its landscapes. There are white sandy beaches that have been favoured by surfers for centuries, volcanoes that jag across the coastline and reefs off the shore that are perfect for snorkelling. What is a little less known about Hawaii is the food. From highly prized cans of meat, street food favourites and savoury seafood options picked up from the roadside, there is a delicious variety of food to nosh on at every corner. You might need to bring your stretchy pants, though, or at least be willing to loosen the notch on your belt. Here’s how to eat your way around Hawaii on your next trip.

Read more: Plan your own trip to Hawaii

1. Shrimp trucks

So Amazing!! #giovannishrimptruck #northshore #oahu #hawaii #aloha #friday #scampi #food #foodporn #foodie #foodies #delicious #amazing #worthit #alohafriday #roadtrip #staycation #vacation #beachlife #luckywelivehawaii

A photo posted by Eliza Hunter (@azile2) on Dec 2, 2016 at 6:45pm PST

Most popular on the North Shore, the shrimp trucks are a must visit while in Hawaii. If you love your butter and garlic just as much as you love your prawns, then a trip to some of the North Shore favourite trucks will tickle the tastebuds. Some of the popular trucks include Giovanni’s, Fumi’s Kahuku Shrimp Truck, Big Wave and Macky’s Sweet Shrimp Truck.

2. Shaved Ice

This really hits the spot after the beach. #shavedice #ululanis #hawaiishavedice #ululanishawaiianshaveice #lihingmui

A photo posted by Cher Yang Afaga (@justcher_ing) on Jul 17, 2016 at 7:18pm PDT

Who would have thought shaved ice could be so delicious? There are so many varieties of these soft, fluffy snacks to choose from including passion fruit, guava and macadamia nut.

3. Poke

#throughbackthursday For some unexplainable reason, Hawaiian poke is wildly popular now everywhere you go. You can find majority of the ingredients for making the most popular ahi (refers to yellowfin and bigeye tuna) poke – tuna, green onions, chili peppers, sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil; however, without the roasted kukui nut (candlenut) and limu (brown seaweed), the poke has no soul. The best place to satisfy my poke craving is at Tamashiro Market in Honolulu, Hawaii. ———————————————#tbt2017#throughback#hawaiianpoke#hawaiianpokebowl#ahipoke#kukuinut#limu#tamashiromarket#honolulu#hawaii#hawaiilife#misshawaii#hawaiianfood#eathawaii#islandlife#visithawaii#eathealthy#healthydiet#lovehawaii#oahu#oahuhawaii#honolulurestaurant#yelphawaii#pokebowl#eater#buzzfeedfood

A photo posted by Alohajamon Eats (@alohajamon) on Jan 12, 2017 at 5:46am PST

No, it’s not something you do to someone who cuts in front of you in the queue at the supermarket, poke (pronounced POH-keh) is a dish made of cubes of raw fish seasoned with any number of different herbs and spices. It’s one of the most popular dishes in Hawaii and for good reason: it’s healthy, simple and delicious!

4. Acai Bowls

How do I make these things? #acaibowl #waikikibeach #hawaiiacaibowl 🍌🍓🍇🌊

A photo posted by casserOLÉ By Erin (@casser.ole) on May 22, 2016 at 12:47pm PDT

Popular the world over, Hawaii was one of the first places that really caught on to the acai bowl movement. This palm tree berry is known to aid digestion, boost immunity and promote skin health. The colourful bowls are a great meal option during the hotter months when it’s almost too warm to eat.

5. Spam

SPAM ® Musubi is our dinner tonight #spam #teriyaki #spamteriyaki #spammusubi #musubi #foodphotography #foodie #homecooking #homecooked #delish #delicious #dinner #instafood #ilovefood #ilovespam #spamjam #spamjam2016 #foodporn #japanesefood #japaneserice #nori #seaweed #hawaiian #spamhawaii #hawaiianfood

A photo posted by Allan Salvador (@allanroysalvador) on Dec 28, 2016 at 4:39am PST

Often considered ham’s unpopular younger cousin, this canned meat is an incredibly popular food option in Hawaii. More than 7 million cans of Spam are eating in Hawaii each year, so their love of the canned spiced ham is a part of the way of life here and is even found on the menu at McDonalds and in local sushi dishes.