Lūʻau

What it is

The pig is salted, wrapped in leaves, lowered onto hot stones in a pit, covered and left for most of a day. Pulled apart, it is kālua pig. Poi is cooked taro pounded with water into a smooth paste, eaten plain alongside the salty dishes. Laulau is pork and fish wrapped in taro leaves and steamed. There is salted salmon with tomato and onion, raw seasoned fish, sweet potato, and a firm coconut pudding called haupia to finish.

Where it comes from

Hawaiians have always feasted on great occasions. The older word for such a feast is ʻahaʻaina. Under the traditional religious law, men and women ate apart and some foods were forbidden to women. In 1819 King Kamehameha II ate publicly with women and ended that system. The word lūʻau means the young leaves of the taro plant and a dish made from them with coconut milk, and it later came to name the whole feast.

How it works

A family lūʻau is a large potluck with relatives working for days beforehand. A commercial one runs to a schedule. Guests arrive before sunset, are greeted with a flower lei, watch the pig being lifted from the imu, eat from a buffet at long tables and then watch a show of hula and other Pacific dance. Traditionally food was eaten with the fingers while seated on mats. Poi was described by how many fingers were needed to scoop it.

How to do it

1. Book ahead and arrive early enough to see the imu opened.
2. Take a small scoop of poi and eat it with the kālua pig, not alone.
3. Unwrap laulau and eat the inner leaves with the filling. Leave the outer ti leaf.
4. Try lomi salmon and poke as the fresh, cold balance to the pork.
5. Finish with haupia.

Good manners

• Accept a lei when it is offered and do not take it off in front of the giver.
• At a family lūʻau, bring a dish or a gift for the person being honoured.
• Hula is a cultural practice, not a floor show to talk over.

What is eaten

KāluaMeat slow-cooked in an underground oven with hot stones and leavesPokeHawaiian dish of diced raw fish tossed with seasonings and often served over riceKuloloChewy Hawaiian pudding made from taro and coconut milk

Also part of it, and being written: Lūʻau, Lomi-lomi salmon, Haupia.

Sources and further reading

• Lūʻau on Wikipedia
• Iolani Palace, Honolulu