31 Hawaiian-Style Foods You Should Try In This Lifetime

    Poke bowls all day every day.

    Being born and raised in Hawai'i was amazing not just for the tropical weather, beautiful views, and wonderful people, but also because of the amazing food — what we like to call ~ono kine grindz~.

    Here I've listed a few of my favorites. Unfortunately, I couldn't include them all, so if there's any that I missed and you feel strongly about it, please include them in the comments!

    1. Hawaiian Acai Bowls

    Acai bowls became really popular on the mainland a few years ago, but Hawaiian versions include coconut flakes, poi (pounded taro), pitaya (dragonfruit), guava, bee pollen, and always EXTRA honey. Yum.

    2. Shave Ice

    3. Poke Bowls

    4. Tako Poke

    5. Li Hing Mui on EVERYTHING

    We Hawaiians like to sprinkle li hing mui (dry plum seed powder) on almost everything — fresh fruit, desserts, popcorn, cocktails, you name it.

    6. Kalua Pig

    This is our version of pulled pork — it's simple, easy to make, and tastes best with cabbage and two scoops of rice.

    7. Lomi Lomi Salmon

    8. Haupia

    Haupia — coconut milk-based dessert — is THE Hawaiian dessert and is absolutely to-die-for. Fun fact: You can buy Haupia pie from some McDonald's in Hawai'i.

    9. POG (Passion Orange Guava) Juice

    10. Loco Mocos

    11. Liliko'i Butter

    12. Guava Jelly

    13. Poi Malasadas

    14. Taro Sweet Bread Rolls

    I love to pull them apart, cut them in half, butter them — sometimes with liliko'i or mango butter, stick them in the microwave, and eat them warm and gooey. Hell yes.

    15. Bubbie's Mochi Ice Cream

    16. Squid Luau

    17. Spam Musubis

    18. Hawaiian Sun Juice

    19. Taro Chips

    You can get taro chips everywhere. But I really love the taro chips from Hawaiian Chip Company, especially when they're paired with sizzling pipikaula dip the way it's served at Highway Inn.

    20. Roselani's Ice Cream

    Creamy, heavenly, ice cream and sherbets that comes in a bunch of local flavors like Haupia, Classic Macadamia Nut, and Kona Coffee.

    21. Ted's Bakery Pies

    Out-of-this-world pies, that are coated in whipped cream, come in delicious local flavors, and are made on the North Shore of O'ahu.

    22. Zippy's Chili

    Zippy's is our equivalent of Denny's and their chili is amazing, especially with a scoop (or two) of rice. Selling Zippy's chili tickets was how we used to fundraise for my brothers' baseball teams — but a lot of times we would just end up using them ourselves.

    23. Chicken Long Rice

    24. Pipikaula

    25. North Shore Shrimp Trucks

    26. Kulolo

    This Hawaiian taro dessert is a pudding-like treat made of taro, coconut, coconut milk, and sugar.

    27. Maui Onion Potato Chips

    Maui onions are sweet and tart and these kettle-cooked style chips capture all that amazing flavor.

    28. Lau Lau

    Another traditional Hawaiian dish, it's pork wrapped in luau leaves and steamed for hours until it's tender and falling apart. So ono with rice, lomi salmon, and squid luau.

    29. Macadamia Nut Pancakes

    Whether you crave sweets for breakfast or not, you need to try these creamy delicious pancakes, most popularly served at places like Boots and Kimo's and Honolulu Coffee.

    30. Lihing Pickled Mango

    It'll satisfy your sweet and salty cravings. All you need is green mango slices, white and apple cider vinegar, li hing mui seeds (salty dried plum seeds), Hawaiian salt, and sugar.

    31. Macadamia Nut Candies

    You've probably seen these because they're Hawaiians' go-to party favors and thank you-gifts. You can even buy some of the chocolate macadamia nuts in select Costcos now.

    Mahalos for reading and happy feasting!