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Serve luau finger food to a few friends, whom you have turn up in bright Aloha gear, and you have a tropical Hawaiian party on your hands! Evoke the easy, warm spirit of the islands with tropical decorations, tall iced drinks and appetizers that reflect the multi-ethnic mix of the Hawaiians and everyone will be begging for more.
Appetizers are called pupus in Hawaii and there are no hard and fast rules for what works – with a few creative twists, even pizza served with lots of grilled pineapple slices and ham can be passed off as luau finger food!
Poi is the iconic Hawaiian finger food.
Did you know that the Hawaiians measure the thickness of poi or steamed ground taro by the number of fingers it takes to dish it off the bowl?
They name the different poi as one finger poi, two finger poi and three finger poi!
Luau finger food can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish it, and all of it can be made before hand as nothing needs to be served steaming hot.
Much of modern day luau appetizers are influenced by the large Asian immigrant population made of the Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, Vietnamese and Thais.
For example, satay is not intrinsically Hawaiian, but it is very much a part of the local food scene. Serve chicken, beef or pork satay on bamboo skewers with a peanut-based dipping sauce with slices of cucumber and onions on the side. Add some lemon grass to the marinade for an extra layer of flavor.
How about spring rolls, either freshly made or fried, on bunches of fresh leafy lettuce?
Customize the typical plum-based dipping sauce by mixing it with a touch of Vietnamese chilli sauce, serve it with beer and you are likely to have a hit on your hand.
Here are some other ideas for a table of luau finger food:
Pipikaula short ribs - similar to beef jerky, it is made by drying beef strips rubbed with Hawaiian salt, some sugar, soy sauce and garlic for 2 days. Some local chefs quickly pan fry them before serving to crisp the outer skin.
Char siu – barbecued pork ribs marinated in a mix of brown sugar, red bean curd sauce, honey, five spice powder, a little whiskey and garlic. Food coloring is typically used to produced the distinctive red color.
Coconut shrimp – shrimp rolled in coconut beer batter can be given the Hawaiian tropical twist by serving it with mango chutney dipping sauce.Sushi rolls – these can be made ahead of time. Take the recipe for a California roll and instead of avocado, use strips of mango.
Coconut Curry chicken samosas – either store bought samosas or make your own with a filling of coconut chicken curry. A piquant tamarind marinade completes this pupu.
Sprinkle petals of tropical flowers on the rims of your platters of luau finger food or for a zany touch, place a plastic tropical fish in the middle of the plate and arrange the pupus around it. A plastic shark will certainly draw attention and laughs!
How about having professional Hawaiian chefs prepare finger food for you shipping it right to your kitchen counter?.
The cooked food is shipped in an insulated foam cooler and is surrounded by gel ice packs to preserve its shelf life.
You can receive the food just two days after it is cooked! The packages will arrive semi-chilled so make sure you refrigerate them immediately. All you have to do is to heat the food just before the party starts.
The frozen food has a long shelf life and can be frozen for up to six months in most cases. Also, the food is delivered with very detailed instructions for microwaving or steaming the food ahead of your party.
The most popular luau party food that can be bought this way are:
- Char siu pork: a Chinese pork dish widely recognized by its trademark red-coloring derived from spices, best eaten with steamed white rice.
- Kalua pig: the mainstay of all luaus.
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