When visiting the Aloha State, you can’t miss trying out Hawaiian cuisine. However, residents differentiate between two types of regional cuisine by referring to them as local and Hawaiian food. To fully appreciate them, take the time to learn some facts about them first. 

What’s the History Behind Local Food? 

In the latter half of the 1800s, people came to work on plantations in Hawaii from various countries, such as China, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Some of those immigrants, especially the Japanese, started food businesses, and they tried to appeal to as many customers as possible by fusing ingredients from many cultures. Many of the resulting dishes are still served today.

What Distinguishes Hawaiian Cuisine From Local Food? 

Local food refers to the dishes developed from Hawaii’s cultural melting pot. Loco moco, featuring a hamburger steak with rice, gravy, and a fried egg, is a popular breakfast and brunch dish. Spam musubi is a favorite on-the-go snack that wraps up rice and a marinated piece of SPAM® with seaweed.

Hawaiian food, on the other hand, strictly refers to dishes made only with traditional Hawaiian ingredients and cooking styles. Culture, not location, defines it.

Most dishes focus on native seafood, like the widely known ahi, along with seaweed, kava, breadfruit, and taro. Poke, a marinated raw fish dish, has become trendy outside of the islands. Meanwhile, poi, a paste made from mashing taro root, is a classic side you’ll usually only see at a luau or alongside other traditional dishes on a Hawaiian plate lunch. 

Whether you choose to eat local or Hawaiian food, both are part of the modern island cultural experience.

To taste Hawaiian cuisine and learn more about the culture of the islands, head to Experience Nutridge in Honolulu, HI. The cultural center serves farm-to-table dinners that include diverse options to suit the preferences of any guest, even vegetarians and those with gluten allergies. For parties and events with 30 people or more, they also offer private luau. Find out for yourself why celebrities like Elvis Presley, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe took the time to visit by calling (808) 531-5050 or exploring their website.