Hawaii is a foodie’s paradise, and it can make choosing what to eat in Hawaii hard.  Since Hawaii is such a cultural melting pot, there is a huge array of cuisines to sample. Keep reading as we explore what you need to eat in Hawaii, and where to find it.

Hawaii has a dizzyingly wide array of foods to try, which is one of the reasons it is such an exciting travel destination.

What To Eat In Hawaii

Lomi Lomi Salmon

Kalua Pig

Haupia

Malasadas

Meat/Fish Jun

Manapua

Poke

Mochi Crunch

Poi

Huli Huli Chicken

Loco Moco

Spam Musubi

Mochiko Chicken

Shave Ice

Pork Hash

Garlic Shrimp

 

Lomi Lomi Salmon

Usually found at luaus, this Hawaiian specialty’s name means to massage. It consists of diced, raw salmon, tomatoes and onions.

Kalua Pig

Kalua pig is a classic luau staple. Wrapping the pig in ti leaves and slow cooking to perfection in an underground oven (imu) creates a tastebud explosion.  If you would like to make this at home, check out this blog post for an easy recipe.

Haupia

Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian dessert, similar to coconut pudding. It primarily consists of coconut cream, sugar and starch.  Although it’s delicious on its own, you can also add to pies to create luscious concoctions such as chocolate haupia pie.

Malasadas

Malasadas are Portuguese fried balls of dough, sort of like a cross between a funnel cake and a donut.  Whether you get them filled with custard or simply coated in sugar, these should make everyone’s list of what to eat in Hawaii! Leonard’s Bakery, on Kapahulu Avenue, is the most well-known place for malasadas,  but they can be found on all the islands.

Meat Jun and Fish Jun

A staple at Korean BBQ joints in Hawaii, meat jun and/or fish jun is a harder to find on the mainland. Thin cuts of beef or fish are dipped in an egg batter and deep fried. It’s usually served with a salty, umami dipping sauce and steamed rice and banchan.

Manapua

Manapua is a must try! A close cousin of Chinese bao, manapu are steamed or baked buns stuffed with filling. Char siu is one of the most popular fillings, as well as curry or sausages.

Poke

Although the poke trend is sweeping the country, Hawaii poke is often imitated yet never duplicated. Poke is raw, cubed seafood often seasoned with shoyu, sesame oil and seaweed, to name a few. There are numerous poke shops, food trucks and supermarkets offering this Hawaiian staple.

Mochi Crunch

You can buy this local snack anywhere other snack foods are sold in Hawaii. Mochi crunch are rice crackers coated in a shoyu glaze.

Poi

Poi is a Hawaiian staple food, made by mashing taro. It has a paste-like consistency, and can be sweetened by the addition of sugar.

Huli Huli Chicken

If you pass by a roadside stand, and smell the tantalizing scent of grilled meat, it’s probably huli huli chicken. Huli is the Hawaiian word for turn, and traditionally the chicken is cooked on a spit. The marinade is a closely guarded secret, but most have some combination of pineapple juice, ketchup, shoyu, sugar, sesame oil and onion.

Loco Moco

Loco moco is a popular plate lunch. First you start with a bed of perfectly steamed white rice, and that is topped with a grilled hamburger patty. Grilled onions are next, followed by an over-easy or sunny side up egg. Finally, the entire concoction is smothered in a rich brown gravy. Out of this world!

Spam Musubi

Musubis are a local staple in Hawaii. People eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks… A block of seasoned sushi rice is topped with a thick slab of grilled and glazed Spam and wrapped with a band of seaweed. Although other varieties of musubi such as salmon, hotdog and teri chicken are available; Spam is the classic.

Mochiko Chicken

Small pieces of chicken are battered in a mochi rice flour, and then deep fried, giving the chicken a slightly sweet taste. Look for it at diners and drive-ins that serve plate lunches.

Shave Ice

You have to have shave ice in Hawaii! Not the same as a snow cone, shave ice has…shaved ice, creating an incredibly smooth dessert. The ice is topped with a flavored syrup, and sometimes condensed milk.

Pork Hash

Hawaii pork hash is similar to a steamed dumpling or shumai. Ground pork, shoyu, green onions, sesame oil and other seasonings are stuffed in a dumpling wrapper and steamed. Don’t sleep on the ones in the case at 7-Eleven, either.

Garlic Shrimp

A Hawaii food truck staple, fresh shrimp are wok-fired with an insane amount of butter and garlic. Usually served plate lunch style, with two scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad.

 

Not gonna lie, writing this one made us hungry! There are too many delectable foods in Hawaii to mention, but these are the favorites. Not mentioned are beverages; authentic Kona Coffee and the classic mai tai being the most popular. Many of these foods can be found in our all-inclusive Hawaii packages, so contact us today to start planning your Hawaiian adventure!