We love the way fish is prepared with an asian flair. We had dim-sum for the first time on Oahu. It was yummy! We are a bit freaky when it comes to foods high in fat so when we saw what a plate lunch looked like, we saw ourselves about 20 pounds heavier by the time we got home and declined. What can I say about SPAM except YUK! My husband loves seared Ahi and I love Ono and Mahai-Mahi. Any suggestions for low fat food from the islands?

Dano and I love it! Especially the SPAM

How can you top the variety of fresh fruit and vegetables found in our tropical paradise? We have a friend that supplies us regularly with fresh ahi. Add Japanese sticky rice and Kahuku sweet corn to the meal and it is wonderful!

Poi. Pounds of poi.

Oh Helen,
I can taste the fresh fruit right now if only in my mind. We are fortunate enough to be coming back to your lovely Hawaii next month for three weeks so I don't need to imagine these tastes for long. Oh my husband would be so jealous if he knew you have fresh Ahi anytime you want it. We eat fish everynight and sometimes for lunch whenever we are there. I love having fresh fruit for breakfast. We actually lose weight while we are over there from all the healthy eating we do along with all the walking and exercise. I have never had your sweet corn but it sounds great. Any other great things we can try while we are there?

By the way Helen, has tourism picked up since we were there last September? We arrived last Sept. 18th and it was quite deserted. (actually it was wonderful)

Yes, tourism is back up and prices are back up. When tourism was off last fall there were some terrific bargains for the local market because the merchants wanted to keep selling to somebody. We had an incredible deal at a resort on the Big Island for a week. Probably never enjoy those kind of values again.

Diana,

Try Chocolate Haupia Creme Pies from Ted's Bakery on North Shores near Sunset Beach. It is local favorite.

Diana, dim sum is Chinese, not Hawaiian. You can get it in any Chinatown across the country, not to mention in Asia and some parts of Europe. And Spam is from someplace in Wisconsin (although we eat the highest Spam per capita here in Hawaii).

Poi is low fat. So are all the tropical fruits. You can also check out Dr. Shintani's Hawaii Diet at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671026666/ref=ase_inktomi-bkasin-20/002-5300039-1228869

Pineapple..the white ones that you can't get anywhere else...Kau oranges, Waimea strawberries. Lau Lau is very good. There are lots of things I miss about Hawaii, the food is down the list, but these were my favorites.
Aloha, Linda

I think Diana is talking about contemporary Hawaiian food, not the food eaten by ancient Hawaiians. Who wants a diet of breadfruit, taro, coconuts, and fish.

With some 60% of Hawaiian able to claim some Asian ancestry nobody will quibble about whether or not dim sum should be considered a Hawaiian food. Some of the best Asian food in the country is found right here in Hawaii.

Dim sum is as Hawaiian as the kahlua pork or the lomi lomi salmon eaten in the luau. Today's luau pig was brought over by European settlers, starting with Captain Cook.

Hawaiian regional cuisine is a blend of tastes from the U.S. and Asia combined with some of the freshest ingredients found here at home. IMHO the best food in the world!

Thank you Kalani for clarifying. All I know is that with all the fresh fish, veggies and fruits we eat while on the islands we feel so great. I feel that with the fresh clean air, the sun shining and the healthy food choices over there, no wonder everyone walks around saying aloha all the time. We try to eat well at home too , but we don't always have the best access to the freshest fruits and such. It's always shipped in from somewhere else and picked when it's not fully ripened so it won't spoil in transit. Here in the Northeast we gorge on anything that is in season because we know we won't have it for a long time. Right now we have tomato and corn season and we will eat it until we can't eat it anymore. It's not the same when it's shipped from elsewhere as compared to your own back yard.

The big macs and the whoppers are my favorites

Not to dismiss it as unworthy, but dim sum is not considered hawaiian, not even hapa haole hawaiian.

It is distinctly Chinese and isn't really even a specific food, but a style of food (chinese finger food so to speak).
Lomi Salmon and Kalua pig are "hawaiian food", despite being relative newcomers.

All the details aside, Hawaiian/Pacific Rim cuisine is great, and I'm sure that the thousands of Pacific Island people also think a (healthy) diet of of breadfruit, taro, coconuts, and fish is also quite tasty.

I LOVE fish in Hawaii. The last time I was there, I found Ahi at the Star Market for $4.99 per pound and it was beautiful. A marinade of 1/2 fresh lime juice and 1/2 soy sauce was all it took for and incredible mea. When I got home I went to the 3 most upscale meat markets in my town and the Ahi was hideous and the cheapest was $13.99 per pound.

That is just one example. When I travel to the islands I always stay in a condo so I can prepare meals that I know are healthy and fresh.

Bon Appetit!