Top 6 Hawaiian Ingredients: A Culinary Delight that Can’t Go Wrong

What could be more alluring than munching crispy crab meat and relishing glass full of coconut coolers along the shoreline of Hawaii!!! But, Hawaiian style of cooking is more than fishes, shells and exotic delicacies. It is also about each ingredient used in the recipes which exude a character of its own and still remains oblivious to the world.

Here are 6 ingredients used in the Hawaiian recipes that many chefs from world over just love experimenting with.

1.  Ohi'a 'ai:
For the world, it is the fiery red Hawaii Mountain Apples that feature in exotically flavoured ice-creams, pastries and yes, shaved ice toppings. Native to South East Asian countries, this stirring fruit was introduced in the Caribbean first and then passed to the legacy of Hawaiian kitchens much later.

Hawaiian recipes like rose pickles, Hawaiian delights, and poi use it sparingly to create a mix of sweet and tangy taste.

2.  Kukui nuts:

Also called candlenut, kukui is a very important ingredient in the Hawaiian style of cooking.  Roasted Kukui Nuts are mixed with salts and consumed as snacks with drinks like ale and rum. It is not to be consumed raw, as some varieties are ranked poisonous.

In Hawaii, the tree is respected and worshipped. From leaves to its bark and leaves, every part is used in Hawaiian livelihood. Fishing nets, boats, umbrellas and even funeral pyre are made out of this tree that produces bitter sweet Kukui Nuts.

3.  Limu seaweeds:

A kind of algae, used exclusively in Hawaiian cuisines, there are more than 50 different varieties of Limu. It has a refreshing taste which often turns bland soups into delicious potions. It is added to taro stew, sweet potato broth and bread fruit.

Along with Kukui nuts, Limu is added to produce one of the most fantasised seasonings associated with Polynesian cooking styles. The seasoning- Inamona, is a mixture of Limu and Kukui and is used in almost every known Hawaiian preservative as a food additive or a condiment.

4.  Purple yam:
Used extensively in preparing ice-creams and pickles, this colourful vegetable is a startling addition to the colourful food culture of Hawaii. Hawaiian desserts recipes use a lot of purple yam flavours in rolls, tarts, ice creams, cakes and pastries. Even chocolates are decked with shreds of dried purple yam and Kakui nuts.

5.  Jabong:
Also known as Pomelo, Jabong is a popular fruit dessert ingredient in Hawaii. Similar to apple from the outside, it tastes like a citrus fruit. Eaten raw as well as sprinkled in salads, Hawaiian chefs prefer adding the fruit as a seasoning it its dried form.

Marmalade and purees of pomelo are stacked along with other herbs and added to crab syrup, shrimp soups and often cooked with tamarind juice.

6.  Squid pickle:

Made from the extracts of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, seasoned dried meat is a relatively unknown ingredient to most parts of the world. Used in making scolopes, squid pickle is a regular thing in Korean and Caribbean lau recipes.

Try these ingredients and give your home-made dish a zing...