It’s hard to put my finger on what it is about Hawaii that makes every trip down the highway headed toward point B like a vacation. But I’ve lived on Kauai for six years now, and I never take my surroundings for granted. I still pinch myself that I get to live here. Even the locals who have lived here all their lives feel the same way.
I first fell in love with these islands, and especially Kauai (aptly called the Garden Island) on my honeymoon 26 years ago. I blush to say that I cried when it was time to check out of the hotel and fly away. Every single view on this island presents jagged mountains, colorful flowers year-round, blue ocean—or any combination of the three.
Since moving here, I’ve learned a thing or two about the distinct delicious food along with its lore. I recently interviewed several renowned chefs who shared with me the characteristics of the cuisine of Hawaii for the article you can read by clicking here. It’s the main feature in the May/June 2023 issue of The National Culinary Review magazine.
But there wasn’t room in the article to share all of the fun food facts of paradise. Below are some things I’ve picked up that you may not read in magazines.
- The popular tropical ice treat is called shave ice, not shaved ice. And good ones have ice cream in the middle. If it’s cold enough to give you goose bumps, don’t admit it out loud. They don’t have goose bumps in Hawaii. They have chicken skin.
- SPAM is so popular, you’ll find large quantities on the endcaps at grocery stores, including Costco. You’ll also find it on the breakfast menu at McDonald’s. And you’ll find cases of it at 7-Eleven made up into musubi, the most ubiquitous SPAM snack in Hawaii.
- Looking for passionfruit? Call it that and locals will know you’re a tourist. It’s lilikoi.
- You ordered salmon on the menu? Sorry, that wasn’t local. It was flown in. Salmon does not swim around Hawaii.
- Pupus (pronounced poo poos) are little finger foods that you know as appetizers. Expect to find them at catered social events.
- Mayonnaise makes everything good. Macaroni salad and poke may be the two most popular dishes in Hawaii of which mayo is a prime ingredient.
- A baby’s first birthday is on par with weddings and graduations for elaborate partying among family and friends far and wide. Parents of one-year-olds put on a lavish baby luau, complete with pupus and a luau buffet, Hawaiian music band, decorations, party favors and games.
If you ever have a chance to visit Hawaii and wonder which island to see, my husband and I renamed the 4 main islands on our honeymoon, and we stand by those summaries 26 years later.
- Oahu is New York City with a beach. Crazyville. The traffic jams are outrageous. But what great shopping and eating.
- Maui is California. It’s the hipster place that Millennials with their kids want to be. Go there in the winter to see whales.
- The Big Island of Hawaii is the moon. I have not figured out why anyone would want to live there. But if you want to see volcanos and Serengeti-size lava fields, go to the Big Island.
- Kauai is the Arkansas of Hawaii. It’s rural and unpretentious. Most locals drive a pickup truck. (Tourists drive the Jeeps.) No need to unpack the high heels in Kauai. There’s no place to wear them.
Jody
