Local Snacks: A New Series on Hawaii Traditions

Local Snacks

One of my absolute favorite island snacks is a far cry from the gold-foil packaged chocolate macadamia nuts we commonly give to non-islanders as gifts from Hawaii. No, instead—or maybe afterwards—give me a washed out mayonnaise jar filled to the brim with half-ripe chilled mango, soaking in sweetened vinegar tinted with red food color and flavored with li hing mui swimming around in the mix. Then, come back in an hour. Everything but the mayonnaise jar will be gone, and I will no doubt be feeling a bit sick at having eaten the entire container of mangoes!

Photo credit: HelloChris on Flickr

Does the sound of pickled mango make you cringe? You have to just try it! And while you are at it, try the plethora of other delicious treats that islanders indulge in, sometimes to the point of addiction! Add to the list ice cake, li hing mui and other cracked seed, saimin, lychee, manapua, rice cake (different from ice cake), kakimochi and iso peanuts, and you will get a broader idea of the wide variety of snack food temptations that are truly unique to these islands. What ties these offerings together are the simplicity of the treats, their long standing tradition and the fact these snacks cross every conceivable border, eaten by everyone in Hawaii, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

What are your favorite Hawaii style snack foods? Share them with us here, at Hawaii Traditions!