Because of Hawaii’s diverse population and cultures, tasty food from around the world can be found in the islands. However, sometimes the best foods to try are the traditional Hawaiian dishes that were eaten by the native Hawaiians long before any other cuisines were introduced to the islands. Due to the Hawaiian’s belief that life and health were one in the same, they believed that it was important to eat healthy and to use all of the edible resources provided by nature. The native Hawaiians lived very active lives, so it was important for them to eat foods rich in nutrients such as taro, yams, breadfruit, pigs, and fish.

The main sources of protein for the native Hawaiians were fish, squid, crab, chicken, and birds. Leafy vegetables including taro, tree fern, and fan palm were also a main component of their diets. They also ate bananas, coconuts, mountain apples, and sugar cane. One of the staples of their diet was poi, a glutinous purple paste made from pounded taro root.

Although times have changed greatly, there are still many traditional Hawaiian foods found today, especially at events known as luaus, which are traditional Hawaiian feasts. Poi is still a commonly found Hawaiian dish, and you will also often find a whole pig wrapped in ti and banana leaves and cooked in an underground oven known as an imu as one of the main dishes. Laulau is another common dish, which consists of pork or chicken wrapped in taro leaves. For desert people will often eat haupia, which is made from coconu