Hawaii is a cultural melting pot and this is perhaps most evident in the variety of amazing cuisine you’ll find throughout the islands. There are however a handful of foods that are uniquely Hawaiian, and one of them is Poi.
Hawaiian poi is a purple pudding like dish that you’ll find everywhere from our grocery stores to food trucks. Poi falls in to one of three categories; “one-finger”, “two-finger”, or three-finger, which refers to its consistency and how many fingers you’ll need to scoop and eat it. Poi can range from quite fluid, to thick and doughy and it is true staple food here in Hawaii.
Made from the root of the Taro plant, poi was a commodity for Hawaii’s early settlers. After it’s cooked, the taro root or corn as it is also known is mashed in to a paste and water is added until the desired consistency is achieved. When Hawaiian poi is fresh, it is considered sweet poi that then ferments over the course of several days in to what is known as sour poi. Sweet poi is often eaten with a sprinkling of sugar, while sour poi is enjoyed with lomi-lomi salmon, poke, salted fish, and other smoked meats. High in Vitamins A, B, calcium, valuable digestive enzymes, and a host of other nutrients, poi is equally as nutritious as it is delicious. In fact, poi has been used as a source of sustenance for infants with severe food / milk allergies because it is so nutritious and easy to digest.
Poi has an interesting history in Hawaii as the early Polynesian settlers considered it a sacred dish. The Taro plant is believed to contain the spirit of Haola; the child of two Hawaiian gods. When a bowl of poi was served, all disputes among family members and dinner guests were expected to come to an immediate halt so as not to disrespect Haola’s spirit. In 1911, the Board of Health believed poi was responsible for a cholera outbreak which resulted in the Poi Prohibition. All batches had to be destroyed and the sale of poi was prohibited. Because poi was a staple food for most Hawaiian families, the government began to distribute free poi throughout the islands until the creation of the poi bill which regulated its production.
Poi is an acquired taste for some, but generations of Hawaiian people can’t be wrong! As with all of Hawaii’s other delicious foods, we encourage you to be adventurous and give it a try! To read some of our other “Taste of Hawaii” posts, click the following links.
I just wanted to let you know that our stay on Oahu at Honeyed Jade was amazing. My family was blown away by the beauty of the house and the kindness of the Property Manager. We loved the house cockatoo, Lola. She was the life of the party! Thank you to you and Iris for all your help and professionalism. It was greatly appreciated.
If you are looking for the Perfect House in the Perfect Location with the Perfect Hosts
If you are looking for the Perfect House in the Perfect Location with the the Perfect Hosts, you could not possibly find a better Maui Vacation Rental.
From the moment we contacted Sunny, our every need and desire to create a dream trip was effortless. She took care of shopping, dinner reservations and answered every ‘stupid’ question like a true professional.
Any small issue with the house was taken care of promptly by Eric. Always polite and understanding to our requests, he fixed things in a flash!
And the Home….
Gorgeous
Great Location on the Beach
Plenty of room(s). We had 7 people.
Great Amenities
Clean
Modern electronics and Wifi
Everything
The Best of Maui!
Harvey & Sandy P
You Were a Delight to Work With
We had a wonderful time at Sail Away and I recommended Hawaii Hideaway to dozens of people. You were a delight to work with and I will definitely use you again the next time we rent a home in the islands.
Roseville, CA
Like a Dream
Bliss doesn’t even describe our experience. It was almost like a dream. We are ready to do this again with Hawaii Hideaways – you guys are the best. Everything was perfect!!!