When travelers find out that we specialize in arranging travel to Hawai’i, they first ask, “What food is Hawaii famous food?” You may think you’ve covered your bases if you’ve ordered a plate lunch or snacked on pupus at a local tiki bar. But there is much more to the food scene than that, be it local comfort food classics like manapuas or plate lunch or better-known dishes like shave ice and poke.
Hawai’i’s Food Scene Today
As we’ve said before, the food culture is unique thanks to the unique history of Hawaii, where immigrants arrived from places as diverse as China, Japan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Portugal. And, since these groups all worked together during the plantation era, they brought a fusion of different cultures and elements of their food traditions to the islands.
As a result, Hawai’i’s food scene has a strong fusion element. Some of the most common local dishes–say, saimin, boiled peanuts, shoyu chicken–have flavors reminiscent of other cuisines yet definitively local foods. Head here to read how Hawai’i’s food scene became what it is today.
These days, there is a major focus on local food, so in everything from the farmers’ markets to high-end restaurants, you’ll notice a big focus on farm-to-table.
Add to it that there is a creative local makers scene and renowned James Beard-nominated chefs cooking thoughtful local food, and there is a lot of delicious food to explore when you travel to Hawai’i.
20 Hawaii Famous Food Bites To Try
But, we will always have a big love for the local comfort foods because they are an edible slice of the state’s history. Also, they’re simple, delicious, and, well, comforting. These classic local foods are dishes you’ll find in iconic plate lunch spots like Rainbow Drive-In. While others are made by home cooks for anything from University of Hawai’i football tailgates to luaus or casual music jam sessions known as kanikapila.
We can, of course, help you plan a perfect Hawai’i foodie itinerary that includes farm visits, cooking classes, and fine dining. But if you’re going for the first time and want to try local comfort food, here are 20 Hawaii famous foods to eat:
Boiled Peanuts
You might have only had boiled peanuts in the deep South, but they’re a traditional pūpū (aka appetizer) in Hawai’i. Brought to Hawai’i by Chinese immigrants, the boiled peanuts here are usually made with generous star anise.
We often stop by local spots like Fort Ruger Market on O’ahu to get boiled peanuts and some poke before going to friends’ houses, but we also like to make our own boiled peanuts when we’re up for it!
Banana Bread
If you’re heading to Maui, you’ll want to head out to the Road to Hana not only for the stunning views but also for the banana bread. Spots like Twin Falls Farm Stand make bread with local bananas, one of the most beloved treats you can find on the islands.
Butter Mochi
Coco Puffs
Like malasadas (below), coco puffs are among the most beloved local treats. They are like French profiteroles in that they are made with choux pastry, but they are different for a few distinct reasons. First, they’re filled with pudding — the traditional flavor being milk chocolate.
And second, they’re topped with a mixture called chantilly. But this is not traditional French chantilly (i.e., sweetened whipped cream) but rather a sweet, slightly gritty topping made by whipping together egg yolks, sugar, and butter.
So, yes, it’s more like a buttercream frosting than chantilly, but semantics aside, it’s delicious. Liliha Bakery is credited with coming up with these sweet pastries, so make sure to try them for yourself when you visit O’ahu.
Garlic Shrimp
Garlic shrimp in Hawaii, particularly on the North Shore of Oahu, is a culinary highlight that embodies the island’s fusion of flavors. This dish, often found at numerous food trucks dotted along the scenic coastline, features large, succulent shrimp sautéed in a rich, aromatic garlic sauce. These food trucks, like Giovanni’s, Romy’s, and Fumi’s, have become destinations in their own right, attracting locals and tourists. It’s a simple yet unforgettable island delicacy that combines fresh local seafood with the bold flavors of garlic, often accompanied by rice and a slice of lemon for that extra zing.
Huli Huli Chicken
Huli means turning in Hawaiian, and though huli-huli has been trademarked, it is often used to refer to a teriyaki-like, smoky-basted chicken grilled and turned rotisserie-style over kiawe (local Hawaiian mesquite) charcoal.
Whenever there is a community fundraiser in Hawai’i, you are almost guaranteed to find this slightly sweet, smoky BBQ chicken. To find some huli-huli, look for billowy smoke wafting from large grills on the side of the road. It’s sweet and tangy, with plenty of ginger, garlic, and soy — and this recipe is a simplified riff on huli huli chicken that you cook on your grill (assuming you, too, don’t own a rotisserie).
Malasadas
Brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese, the yeasty, airy donuts known as malasadas (pronounced “mahl-ah-sah-dahs”) are made daily at numerous bakeries across the state. Purists insist you eat malasadas plain (unfilled and sugared), but they’re often filled with local flavors like passion fruit or coconut or dipped in li hing mui (salted plum powder) sugar.
For more about malasadas, here is what to look for and where to get our favorites. The classic spots to get malasadas are at Leonard’s Bakery on O’ahu or at Tex Drive-In on the Big Island, though we can share a full list if you get in touch!
Manapua
The word “manapua” is a shortening of a Hawaiian phrase that translates as “delicious pork thing” — and that’s exactly what these are. Inspired by Chinese pork buns, these yeasted buns can be steamed or baked and are traditionally filled with char sui (Chinese BBQ pork) or kalua pig.
The ones pictured above are from Royal Kitchen on O’ahu and are a must-visit spot because their manapua are always fresh and have all sorts of flavors.
Musubi
Musubi is like a long-lost cousin to the Japanese snack known as onigiri, where sushi rice is wrapped in seaweed and often filled with all sorts of delicious flavors. But in Hawai’i, they give it a decidedly local twist with the spam musubi, where they fill sushi rice with SPAM cooked in teriyaki sauce. And the classic place to get it is at the closest 7-Eleven.
Saimin
Nearly every major ethnic group has left its mark on this ramen-like dish that hails from Hawai’i. It’s said that this soup came about thanks to the melding of cultures that happened among plantation workers. Classic saimin starts with a Japanese-like dashi broth and Chinese lo mein-like noodles. There are all sorts of toppings, from Portuguese linguica sausage to Filipino pancit and Korean kimchi. Our version of the dish is a Shrimp and Vegetable Saimin that takes some time to make but is pretty simple and very delicious.
Shave Ice
Hawaiian shave ice (not shaved ice, by the way!) is the same basic idea as a snow cone but lighter and airier because it’s made with shaved rather than crushed ice. You can find it pretty all over Hawai’i, and while traditionalists swear by Oahu’s Matsumoto or Waiola, we’re fans of Ailana because their syrups are homemade. Here is our list of where to find the best shave ice across Hawai’i.
Shoyu Chicken
One of our all-time favorite local dishes is shoyu chicken. Like Portuguese Bean Soup, you might see it at a plate lunch spot, but more often, it’s found at a tailgate or during a home-cooked meal. It resembles teriyaki chicken but is different as it’s simmered, not grilled, and served in a sauce, not with a glaze.
Shoyu Chicken is usually made by simmering chicken thighs together with shoyu and sugar, and various flavorings are most commonly ginger, garlic, and chiles. It’s a dish that’s a major crowd-pleaser, so we often make it around here as a weeknight meal.
Try Native Hawaiian Food
You can talk Hawaii famous food without traditional Hawaiian food. To be crystal clear, “Hawaiian food” or “Hawaiian cuisine” refers to traditionally made by indigenous Hawaiians. So, if you’re talking about anything else, go ahead and refer to it as “local food” and not as “Hawaiian food.” The traditional Hawaiian diet was based on the foods that were readily available, such as fish, taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, kukui nuts, seaweed, and ferns. Here is some traditional Hawaiian food to search out:
Haupia
Haupia (pronounced “how-pea-ah”) is the classic Hawaiian dessert that you’ll likely come across the most when you visit Hawai’i. It’s traditionally made by simmering coconut milk and sugar with cornstarch and then setting it up until it resembles a coconut pudding.
These days, haupia has also become a trendy island dessert flavor. You’ll find haupia as a shave ice flavor, combined with chocolate in a slice of pie, or even as a creamy gelato at one of our local favorites, Via Gelato in Honolulu.
Kālua Pork
Traditionally spelled kālua, this is a Hawaiian cooking term meaning “to cook in an underground oven.” In Hawaii, an underground oven is called an imu, and steam is used for cooking food. Pork is prepared this way at traditional Hawaiian luaus, one of the most popular Hawaiian dishes. Since most don’t have access to an imu, a slow cooker is a good – and despite its name — a quicker substitute.
Laulau
This classic Polynesian dish is one that was brought to the islands by the earliest voyagers. In traditional laulau recipes, taro leaves or ti leaves are filled with fish or pork and then slow-cooked in an imu. Today, you’ll often see butterfish and pork combined, and then the mixture is steamed and served with white rice.
Lomi Lomi Salmon
Also called lomi-lomi salmon, this is a classic side dish in Hawaiian cuisine and is often served at luaus with the other foods listed here. It tastes as if salmon and a non-spicy pico de gallo salsa came together, as it’s a mix of raw salmon, tomatoes, scallions, and sweet Maui onions. The term lomi-lomi means “massage” in Hawaiian and is about how the mixture is gently combined before serving. To taste some of the best Hawaiian food, head to the historic spot, Haili’s Hawaiian Food, when you’re on Oahu.
Poi
Before the sticky taro root (aka kalo, in Hawaiian) paste became a staple at lū’au buffets, poi was a staple of the Native Hawaiian diet and eaten by scooping your fingers into a community bowl or calabash.
Traditionally, poi is made from cooked taro root that is pounded and mashed, and you’ll usually see it served as a side or part of a plate lunch.
Squid Lū’au
Like lau lau, this is a dish that you’ll find throughout Polynesia. In its simplest form, squid or octopus is slow-cooked with taro (aka luau) and coconut milk. It’s a sweet-savory dish that’s one of our favorite traditional Hawaiian foods.
Are there any other must-eat Hawaiian foods that we missed on our list? Let us know in the comments below!
Saimin
Nearly every major ethnic group has left its mark on this ramen-like dish that hails from Hawai’i. It’s said that this soup came about thanks to the melding of cultures that happened among plantation workers. Classic saimin starts with a Japanese-like dashi broth and Chinese lo mein-like noodles. There are all sorts of toppings, from Portuguese linguica sausage to Filipino pancit and Korean kimchi. Our version of the dish is a Shrimp and Vegetable Saimin that takes some time to make but is pretty simple and very delicious.
Shave Ice
Hawaiian shave ice (not shaved ice, by the way!) is the same basic idea as a snow cone but lighter and airier because it’s made with shaved rather than crushed ice. You can find it pretty all over Hawai’i, and while traditionalists swear by Oahu’s Matsumoto or Waiola, we’re fans of Ailana because their syrups are homemade. Here is our list of where to find the best shave ice across Hawai’i.
Shoyu Chicken
One of our all-time favorite local dishes is shoyu chicken. Like Portuguese Bean Soup, you might see it at a plate lunch spot, but more often, it’s found at a tailgate or during a home-cooked meal. It resembles teriyaki chicken but is different as it’s simmered, not grilled, and served in a sauce, not with a glaze.
Shoyu Chicken is usually made by simmering chicken thighs together with shoyu and sugar, and various flavorings are most commonly ginger, garlic, and chiles. It’s a dish that’s a major crowd-pleaser, so we often make it around here as a weeknight meal.
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Try Native Hawaiian Food
You can talk Hawaii famous food without traditional Hawaiian food. To be crystal clear, “Hawaiian food” or “Hawaiian cuisine” refers to traditionally made by indigenous Hawaiians. So, if you’re talking about anything else, go ahead and refer to it as “local food” and not as “Hawaiian food.” The traditional Hawaiian diet was based on the foods that were readily available, such as fish, taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, kukui nuts, seaweed, and ferns. Here is some traditional Hawaiian food to search out:
Haupia
Haupia (pronounced “how-pea-ah”) is the classic Hawaiian dessert that you’ll likely come across the most when you visit Hawai’i. It’s traditionally made by simmering coconut milk and sugar with cornstarch and then setting it up until it resembles a coconut pudding.
These days, haupia has also become a trendy island dessert flavor. You’ll find haupia as a shave ice flavor, combined with chocolate in a slice of pie, or even as a creamy gelato at one of our local favorites, Via Gelato in Honolulu.
Kālua Pork
Traditionally spelled kālua, this is a Hawaiian cooking term meaning “to cook in an underground oven.” In Hawaii, an underground oven is called an imu, and steam is used for cooking food. Pork is prepared this way at traditional Hawaiian luaus, one of the most popular Hawaiian dishes. Since most don’t have access to an imu, a slow cooker is a good – and despite its name — a quicker substitute.
Laulau
This classic Polynesian dish is one that was brought to the islands by the earliest voyagers. In traditional laulau recipes, taro leaves or ti leaves are filled with fish or pork and then slow-cooked in an imu. Today, you’ll often see butterfish and pork combined, and then the mixture is steamed and served with white rice.
Lomi Lomi Salmon
Also called lomi-lomi salmon, this is a classic side dish in Hawaiian cuisine and is often served at luaus with the other foods listed here. It tastes as if salmon and a non-spicy pico de gallo salsa came together, as it’s a mix of raw salmon, tomatoes, scallions, and sweet Maui onions. The term lomi-lomi means “massage” in Hawaiian and is about how the mixture is gently combined before serving. To taste some of the best Hawaiian food, head to the historic spot, Haili’s Hawaiian Food, when you’re on Oahu.
Poi
Before the sticky taro root (aka kalo, in Hawaiian) paste became a staple at lū’au buffets, poi was a staple of the Native Hawaiian diet and eaten by scooping your fingers into a community bowl or calabash.
Traditionally, poi is made from cooked taro root that is pounded and mashed, and you’ll usually see it served as a side or part of a plate lunch.
Squid Lū’au
Like lau lau, this is a dish that you’ll find throughout Polynesia. In its simplest form, squid or octopus is slow-cooked with taro (aka luau) and coconut milk. It’s a sweet-savory dish that’s one of our favorite traditional Hawaiian foods.
Are there any other must-eat Hawaiian foods that we missed on our list? Let us know in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Some famous foods in Hawaii include Poke, Kalua Pig, Loco Moco, Spam Musubi, Saimin, Haupia, and Shave Ice. These dishes are iconic in Hawaiian cuisine and offer a taste of the local flavors and culinary traditions.
Hawaii does indeed have traditional food that was eaten by the native Hawaiian people. These dishes include poi, laulau, squid luau, kalua pig, and haupia.
Yes, traditional Hawaiian food can be found on all the Hawaiian Islands, though you may need to search it out if you are staying in a resort. Each island has its unique spots where you can enjoy authentic Hawaiian dishes, from casual eateries to fine dining restaurants, including classic spots like Haili's and Rainbow Drive-In on Oahu.
Where To Eat In Hawaii
Now that you know about Hawaii’s famous food, you may wonder where to eat. We have our pick of Kauai’s best restaurants and the top places to eat in Oahu’s Waikiki, from casual spots like Musuubi Cafe Iyasume to fine dining options like La Vie.
And, if you’re looking to plan a trip to Hawai’i, our Hawai’i trip planner services are here to help you plan your perfect itinerary.
Hawaiian Diacritical Marks: In an effort to be accurate and respectful of the Hawaiian language, we use diacritical marks in our articles on the region. For more about which marks are used in the language and how to find proper spelling, refer to this Hawai’i Magazine article.
8 thoughts on “Hawaii Famous Food: More Than 20 Local Foods To Try”
This is a great list of local foods to try in Hawai’i! I’m excited to try some of them!
This is a great list of local foods to try in Hawai’i! I’m excited to try some of them!
This is a great list of local foods to try in Hawai’i! I’m excited to try some of them!
This is a great list of local foods to try in Hawai’i! I’m excited to try some of them!
This is a great list of local foods to try in Hawai’i! I’m excited to try some of them!
OMG, I can’t wait to try all of these local foods when I visit Hawaii! The posterenini is calling my name 😍
I loved this post! It’s amazing to see such a wide variety of delicious local foods in Hawaii. I can’t wait to try poke and loco moco on my next visit. Thanks for sharing these tasty insights!
This list is amazing! I never realized how diverse Hawaiian cuisine is. I can’t wait to try loco moco and shave ice on my next trip. Thanks for sharing these delicious recommendations!