HAWAII IS A TROPICAL OASIS with a cuisine that reverberates with the cultures of its people, most notably Polynesians, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos and Caucasians of European descent.
One of the easiest (and most fun) ways to be introduced to the foods of this region is to visit any of the six Costco warehouses located on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii and Maui. (See www.costco.com’s warehouse locator for information and locations.)
Common tropical food sightings at the warehouses include poi, Manoa lettuce, Maui Gold pineapples, purple sweet potatoes, cluster tomatoes, local green-and red-leaf lettuce, sweet onions, Japanese cucumbers and eggplant, string beans, local bananas, papayas, avocados and corn, apple bananas and ginger root. Also look for Hawaiian-made sweet breads, fish such as opah (moonfish) and ono (wahoo), plus ahi sashimi trays (yellowfin tuna cut in bite-sized pieces with vegetables and seasonings) and numerous pokes (raw fish delicacies).
Sam Choy Native Hawaiian “Uncle” Sam Choy’s greatest childhood food memory is of having dinner with his mom at a restaurant where he was served a Cornish game hen; he couldn’t believe that a whole chicken was just for him. He now dreams of the day when poke, a Hawaiian delicacy made of raw fish and seasonings, will be as well known around the world as sushi, sashimi—and game hens.
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