When King Kamehameha invited men and women to eat various luau foods together at mealtimes, he abolished an old kapu (taboo) and created the luau. The luau is a more contemporary version of the term aha’aina (feast) and is the name of the taro leaf.
Luau parties were historically large – the Merry Monarch, King Kalakauau had 1500 guests and there are certain luau foods which are absolute musts at the parties.
The highlight of a luau menu is the kalua pig which is cooked in an underground oven called an imu.
This is a simple pit dug into the ground and fire-heated rocks are placed on top of burning logs to heat the food.
In the case of the kalua pig, which is seasoned with sea salt and green onions, it is covered with alternating layers of ti and banana leaves and rocks, before being covered with earth.
Cooking takes several hours and preparations start in the morning to get the pig sufficiently cooked for the evening meal. When the pig is finally dug out, it is shredded and seasoned with sea salt for taste.
Other traditional foods include poi, which is steamed taro ground to a paste-like consistency. In olden times, the different types of poi were named after the number of fingers required to eat it with – therefore, they are identified as one finger poi, two finger poi or three finger poi!
Some Hawaiians season their poi with salt, sugar or even soy sauce. Some like it aged for extra flavoring. Poi is an acquired taste and might taste better when combined with kalua pork or lomi lomi salmon.
Other popular luau foods are:
Haupia – a steamed custard made of coconut milk, sugar, water with cornstarch to firm the consistency. It is chilled before serving on ti leaves.
Lomilomi salmon – introduced to Hawaii by early sailors from the west, iIt is raw salmon mixed with tomatoes, onions and spices. Lomilomi means to “massage” or to break the salmon into small pieces.
Laulau - either pork or chicken and fish wrapped taro leaves. The ti-leaf package or puolo is then steamed for several hours.
Poke - raw fish marinated in lemon or lime juice with spices and some coconut cream. It is often served with sea salt, onions and seaweed.
Ipi kaula – a seasoned beef jerky which has its origins in early sailing ships when western sailors lived off salted beef in barrels.
Make sure you don't miss mouth-watering island cuisine, hawaiian music and dazzling exotic performances - a luau on your Hawaii vacation is a must!
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.
Other traditional foods include poi, which is steamed taro ground to a paste-like consistency. In olden times, the different types of poi were named after the number of fingers required to eat it with – therefore, they are identified as one finger poi, two finger poi or three finger poi!
