The most pristine ‘ahi (the Hawaiian word for tuna) can now be overnighted to your In Hawai‘i, bread means Portuguese sweet bread. door courtesy of Honolulu Fish. And the man who made it a household name, B particularly on the mainland, is Robert R. Taira. It’s not all poke and Founded by a marine biologist What began as a tiny Hilo bakery in the 1950s lūa‘u (although and presided over by sashimi soon expanded to Honolulu’s King Street, and experts, this chef favorite now 400,000 square feet of baking facilities in there’s plenty of that, specializes in sushi-grade, hook- Torrance, California, and Oakwood, Georgia— all within two decades. It’s still a family business; as well); eating in caught fillets hand-selected a third generation of Tairas has made the fluffy Hawai‘i is a wide- each morning at the Honolulu sweet bread an American staple, with King’s ranging cultural fish market; honolulufish.com. Hawaiian now the No. 1 branded dinner roll in the United States. cross-pollination. From brilliant ahi The Cantonese char siu method of preparing tuna to the zest C barbecued pork has wider applications in Hawai‘i, of sour plums, where everything from here’s how to chicken to wild game is marinated in the dine like a soy-based sauce (often with honey, hoisin sauce, Hawaiian, from and Chinese five-spice) A to Z and cooked over fire. Char Siu Baby BY CHRIS HUGHES Back Ribs, recipe p. 78 RECIPES BY ROBBY MELVIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREG DUPREE TYPE ILLUSTRATION BY NICK KUCHAR PROP STYLING BY MINDI SHAPIRO LEVINE; FOOD STYLING BY EMILY NABORS HALL EMILY BY STYLING MINDI SHAPIRO LEVINE; FOOD BY PROP STYLING OF KING’S HAWAIIAN COURTESY BAKERY: 70 COASTAL LIVING December 2017 December 2017 COASTAL LIVING 71 G Hormel claims its Native to Central and Honolulu native Ravi Kapur is most famous creation, South America, dragon one of the brightest minds in a Spam, was named fruit is increasingly being The dish that has come to new crop of young chefs from the combination epitomize Hawaiian plate- redefining Hawaiian food on the of the words “spice” and grown in Hawai‘i, Thailand, E lunch cuisine is also a mainland. At his Liholiho Yacht “ham.” First released in and other places with poster child of the current Club in San Francisco, the food 1937, Spam developed a tropical climes. The two put-an-egg-on-it culinary and decor deliberately shies worldwide following when 100 million pounds were moment. A twist on away from the expected (think most common types have shipped to Allied troops Salisbury steak, loco moco housemade “Spam” and a dearth bright red skin, and flesh typically consists of a during World War II. But it was U.S. of tiki torches), but the restau- fried egg balanced atop a sanctions restricting deep-sea fishing that tastes like a cross rant mantra remains “Get Jag,” mountain of hamburger industries, mainly run by Japanese- Unlike a snow cone, between a kiwi and a pear. island slang for “hang loose.” and sticky rice saturated Americans at the time, that made it Hawaiian shave ice, such an integral source of protein in I in brown gravy. Hawai‘i. Following the war, a wave of purchased at roadside Korean and Japanese immigrants stands like Ululani’s helped cement Spam’s status in on Maui, is ground to Hawaiian cuisine with contributions like musubi, a cooked slab of Spam a powdery texture on a block of rice bound with nori. that better holds syrups in flavors both sweet (cherry) and F tangy (liliko‘i). A dried blend of seaweed, sesame JICAMA SALAD WITH MANGO AND HEARTS OF PALM seeds, fish flakes, SERVES 4 | ACTIVE 15 min. | TOTAL 1 hour, 15 min. salt, and other Originally brought over by Spanish colonialists, jicama has been embraced by seasonings, furikake Hawaiians for adding a water chestnut–like crunch to sushi and salads. (which literally translates to “sprinkle over”) is 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes) Whisk together often served on rice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil lime juice, oil, or sushi rolls, and in 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar vinegar, honey, party mix. 11/2 Tbsp. honey salt, and pepper in 3/4 tsp. table salt a large bowl. Add 1/4 tsp. black pepper jicama, mango, 1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks hearts of palm, red (about 3 cups) onion, and chile 1 mango, peeled and chopped slices; toss to coat. 1 (14.4-oz.) can hearts of palm, drained and rinsed Cover and chill 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (from 1 red onion) to 8 hours. Gently 1 red Fresno chile, seeded and thinly sliced stir in avocado, Short-Rib 1 ripe avocado, cut into 3/4-inch pieces mint, and parsley PORTRAIT: COURTESY OF MEDIUM RAW ARTS; SHAVE ICE: COURTESY OF ANGIE NELSON ICE: COURTESY SHAVE ARTS; OF MEDIUM RAW COURTESY PORTRAIT: Loco Moco, 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint just before serving. recipe p. 78 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves December 2017 COASTAL LIVING 73 Pineapple Fried Rice with Spam, Shrimp, and Cashews, recipe p. 79 Today, 75 percent of the world’s pineapples comes from Indonesia, In 1955, Ernest Morgado cooked chicken Thailand, and the Philippines, but sandwiched between two grills, a setup the fruit (actually a number of Q that eliminated the need to flip each piece K berries that have fused together) is of meat. The original teriyaki-style BBQ still associated with Hawai‘i sauce slathered on top he dubbed huli-huli, A sausage introduced because of its market dominance in a Hawaiian word for “turn.” Morgado Cultivated on the slopes by Portuguese sugar the 19th century. For a real treat, try soon began bottling his sauce, the super sweet Maui Gold variety, of the Hualālai and Mauna plantation workers in the late eventually trademarking Loa volcanoes of the grown exclusively on the slopes of the name in Big Island, Kona coffee’s 19th century, linguiça is now Haleakalā; pineapplemaui.com. 1986. unique growing conditions ubiquitous in Hawai‘i. Today’s (high elevation, mineral- slightly sweeter style can be rich soils) yield some of the world’s best and found in soups and pastries, and priciest beans. even on local McDonald’s menus. Get your fix from Hawaiian purveyors such as Rego’s Purity, which ships throughout the United States; regospurity.com. Another Portuguese import, malasadas are holeless doughnuts enriched with butter, eggs, and sometimes milk. Although typically only rolled in sugar, variations include those filled with custard or The majority of the world’s haupia, a kind of coconut pudding. rum now comes from Latin O America, but enterprising brands like O‘ahu’s Kō Hana Hawaii’s only native spirit, are trying to bring Hawai‘i ‘ōkolehao, is a sweet and back to its rum-producing earthy ti-root moonshine heyday, between 1874 (when that fell out of favor in the bans on rum distillation were mid-20th century. Now Dave lifted) and the mid-20th N Flintstone of O‘ahu-based century; kohanarum.com. Island Distillers is helping to bring it back using ancient Nori— dried, edible recipes found in archived seaweed sheets— newspapers. His Hawaiian make their way into a Moonshine can already be number of Hawai‘i’s found in chic cocktail bars favorite snack foods, like the Hula Grill Waikiki, including popcorn or you can order a bottle Macadamia-Rum Panna Cotta, online at islanddistillers.com. and Spam musubi. recipe p. 78 Coconut- glazed Malasadas, recipe p. 79 December 2017 COASTAL LIVING 75 Shoyu chicken is a Hawaiian plate-lunch favorite that consists of S chicken marinated or simmered in shoyu, garlic, sugar, and other spices. SHOYU FRIED CHICKEN WITH MOCHIKO BATTER SERVES 6 ACTIVE 20 min. TOTAL 4 hours, 20 min. 1 (13.5-oz.) can coconut milk, well shaken and stirred 1/2 cup shoyu sauce (soy sauce) 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, Y cut into 2-inch pieces 1 cup (about 5 oz.) mochiko flour Closely related to king mackerel, wahoo (sweet rice flour) Yams and sweet potatoes has a firm texture, moderate oil content, 1/4 cup cornstarch are not the same thing. 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds and sweet-tasting flesh prized by both Yet most of the “yams” 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar island chefs and sportfishermen. we eat are simply mis- 2 tsp. garlic powder labeled sweet potatoes— 2 tsp. ground ginger WAHOO POKE including in Hawai‘i, 1 tsp. kosher salt SERVES 8 where sweet potato 1/2 tsp. black pepper ACTIVE 15 min. varieties include the Iliua, 1/2 cup mayonnaise TOTAL 2 hours, 15 min. 2 Tbsp. sambal oelek (ground fresh 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions (2 to 3 scallions) Hoolehua Gold, and chile paste) plus more for serving purple-fleshed Okinawan. 1 tsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) 1/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce) Peanut oil 2 Tbsp. sesame oil 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves 2 Tbsp. crushed wasabi peas, plus more for 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (from garnish 2 scallions) Taro, a staple of the Native 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime) Dash of furikake Hawaiian diet, has a num- 2 tsp. rice vinegar 2 tsp. finely crumbled nori (dried seaweed) 1. Whisk together coconut milk and shoyu in a ber of culinary uses. But large bowl. Add chicken pieces, stirring until 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger Yam Yakitori with 1/2 tsp.