Islands
pleonf ty
The land of the luau
shares its exotic delights
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).
At the forefront of the local cooking scene is
Hawaii’s Culinary Ambassador, Sam Choy. A four-
time nominee for the prestigious Best Regional Chef
Award from the James Beard Foundation, he is the
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.
