If you’re visiting Hawaii, you’ll likely attend a luau, which is a traditional celebration featuring a feast and entertainment. Before eating, observe how the food is prepared in the imu, an outdoor oven used for cooking. Here’s everything you need to know about the imu and the role it plays in this cultural experience.

What Is an Imu?

Kālua is the Hawaiian word for underground. The kālua pig is the centerpiece of the luau, and it’s traditionally cooked underground in an imu. This style of cooking ensures that the pig meat is tender and retains its moisture. Since preparing meals with an imu takes time, using an imu is ideal for large events, like luaus, that gather many guests who can assist with the process.

How Does It Work?

On the morning of the luau, a large pit is dug with a shovel or traditional Hawaiian digging stick, known as an 'ō'ō. Then, the pit is laid with enough rocks and wood to accommodate the whole hog. First, a fire is kindled in the pit, and as it heats up, banana stalks are cut into equal lengths to make a bed on top of the red-hot rocks. Next, with the help of several people, the pig is lifted into the pit where it must cook for at least eight or nine hours. Other foods, like local vegetables, fruit, and fish, are added around the meat to cook simultaneously.

Once inside the imu, the pig is covered with banana leaves and vegetation to ensure the meat doesn’t dry out. When the pig has finished cooking, the leaves and dirt are cleared, and everyone pitches in to hoist the hog and other foods from the ground and transport it to the luau site.

How Is It Used Today?

If you’re attending a luau, you might get the exciting opportunity to assist with the food preparation, like wrapping sweet potato in leaves or pounding a banana stump for covering. Banana leaves are still used today; however, it’s also common to use a tarp to cover the imu. Another modern method is to wrap the pig in banana leaves and bind them with chicken wire to retain moisture and flavor.

If you want to see an imu in action, contact the team at Experience Nutridge in Honolulu, HI. They provide an immersive luau experience at a historic estate where guests will assist with creating food to go into the imu. The staff prepares authentic Hawaiian cuisine made from local ingredients and serve traditional dishes, such as lau lau, pulehu chicken, and kālua pua’a. Call (808) 531-5050 to make a reservation, or learn more about their private luaus online.