Food serves as one of the primary means of cultural identity. Food carries meaning beyond serving as a means of survival, and the ways that we acquire, cook, and eat food represent who we are. Food can inspire and strengthen the bonds between individuals and communities and the diverse cultural background of Hawai'i is a reflection of this.
Included on this page are food resources found in Leeward Library's Hawaii-Pacific Collection and other online resources. We hope that by highlighting these resources, a “Piece of Hawai’i” will be shared with you!
The early Hawaiian diet was dependent on what came from the land and sea. The staple foods of the early Hawaiians included starches like taro and poi, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, fruits such as coconuts and bananas, and proteins such as fish, chicken, and pig. Luau leaves and the leaves of other plants were also cooked and eaten.
Cooking methods were limited as early Hawaiians did not have access to metal and fire-proof cooking utensils. Food was steamed and boiled by dropping hot stones into wooden bowls filled with liquid, or cooked in an imu, an underground oven heated with wood, leaves, and hot stones.
In the early 1900s, an influx of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Korean immigrants came to Hawai’i to work on the sugarcane and pineapple plantations. These immigrants brought many cultural dishes from different cuisines to form a food style unique to Hawai’i. Today, Hawai’i food is ethnically and culturally diverse, incorporating dishes from multiple cultures and periods of Hawai’i history.
Below are online resources about food history in Hawai'i. Click on the title to view more information.
| TITLE | LOCATION |
| About Hawaiian Foods and Ancient Food Customs | Website |
| How Hawaii Food Scene Became What it is Today | Website |
| Imu - Hawaiian Underground Oven | Website |
Below are a list of common terms associated with different aspects of Hawaii food and food culture.
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Delicious, tasty, savory: to relish, crave
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Appetizer or starter dish, usually bite-sized
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Underground oven that uses hot stones, wood, and leaves to cook food
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Taro is a tropical plant and root vegetable that has been staple food of Hawai’I from the earliest times to the present. All parts of the plant are eaten and used, the starchy root is used to make poi and its leaves as luau.
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Food paste made from taro, or sometimes breadfruit, pounded and thinned with water.
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
(1) Young taro tops, usually baked with coconut cream and chicken, or octopus, (2) Hawaiian feast, not an ancient name but goes back to at least 1856
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Also known as breadfruit, the fruits are round and oblong and when cooked taste something like sweet potatoes.
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Salt. Important in Hawai'i as a means of preparing and seasoning food, traditionally gathered from the shoreline where it would crystallize from sea water.
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Wrapped package of ti leaves or banana leaves containing pork, beef, fish, or luau leaves usually baked, steamed, or boiled.
From The Ulukau Electronic Dictionary
Pudding made with coconut cream and cornstarch.
From The Waimea Gazette: Poke Hawai'i's "Numbah One" Choice
Raw, fresh fish cut into cubes or bite-size pieces. A marinated Hawaiian dish of either raw, seared, or cooked seafood.
Learn more about food culture in Hawai'i.
Books are available for checkout or currently on display at the Learning Commons' main entrance. Videos can be found by clicking on the link to the PrimoSearch catalog. Click on the title to view more information.
| TITLE | LOCATION |
| We Go Eat: A Mixed Plate from Hawaii's Food Culture | Hawaii-Pacific Collection TX652.9. Y56 2008 |
| Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands | Hawaii-Pacific Collection TX724.5.H3 H58 2009 |
| Ottomaticake | Academic Video Online (AVON) |
Below are online resources about food culture in Hawai'i. Click on the title to view more information.
| TITLE | LOCATION |
| Honolulu Magazine: Food & Drink | Website |
| The Hawaiian Islands: Culinary | Website |
| Eater: 38 Exciting Ways to Eat in Honolulu Right Now | Website |
| A Local's Ultimate Oahu Foodie Guide | Website |
| Frolic Hawaii | YouTube |
| Taste of Haze | YouTube |
Find Hawai'i cookbooks and recipes.
Books are available for checkout or currently on display at the Learning Commons' main entrance. Click on the title to view more information.
| TITLE | LOCATION |
| Aloha Kitchen: Recipes From Hawai'i |
Hawaii-Pacific Collection T724.5H3K97 2019 Hawaii-Pacific Collection Online |
| Cooking Hawaiian Style: 'Ohana Recipes from Lanai & Friends | Hawaii-Pacific Collection TX724.5.H3 T33 2014 |
| Hawai'i's 'Ohana Cookbook: From Our Family to Yours | Hawaii-Pacific Collection TX724.5.H3 H398 2011 |
Below are online resources for Hawai'i recipes and food. Click on the title to view more information.
| TITLE | LOCATION |
| Ka'iwakiloumoku Pacific Indigenous Institute: Recipe Digital Collection | Website |
| Onolicious Hawai'i | Website |
| Tasting Hawaii | Website |
| Cooking Hawaiian Style TV | YouTube |
| Keeping it Relle | YouTube |
| Ono Hawaiian Recipes | YouTube |
