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It was the custom among the Hawaiian people to celebrate auspicious occasions with a feast. Called the ''aha‘āina'', the feast had spiritual significance; it was thought that they were sharing a meal with the gods. In ancient times men and women could not eat together and certain foods, such as Pork , Banana s, and Coconut , were forbidden to women. King Kamehameha II abolished the '' Kapu '' (taboo) system in 1819 by partaking of a feast with women, thus severing the spiritual connection to the ''aha‘āina''.

The term ''lū‘au'' began to be used in the mid-1800s to refer to what was the ''aha‘āina''. It took its present name from a dish made from young Taro leaves and meat or seafood baked in Coconut Milk .

The food and practices historically observed at an ''aha‘āina'' were rich with symbolism and the event was designed to unite the participants, similar to the way in which the old Hawaiians braided strands of coconut husk fiber, or sennit, into thicker 'aha cords and rope. Certain foods might represent strength, for example, while the names or attributes of other food items might relate to virtues or goals the participants hoped to achieve.

Starting about 150 years ago the term luau gradually replaced ''aha‘āina''. Lū‘au, in Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages, is actually the name of the taro leaf, which when young and small is cooked like spinach and is often mixed with other foods, creating Hawaiian favourites such as lū‘au squid or lū‘au chicken. Lū‘au is to-day the commonly accepted name of a Hawaiian feast.

Lū‘au food, some based on ancient recipes, include:

  • Poi, the traditional Hawaiian staple. It is a starch dish made by pounding boiled taro roots and mixing with water until it reaches a smooth consistency. Taro is one of the most nutritious starches on the planet. Some Hawaiians eat their poi with salt, some with sugar, even soy sauce. Some like it thicker or thinner. Others like it several days old for a little extra tang; and ''malahini'', or newcomers, might find it more to their liking at first if they eat it with a bite of the other meat dishes.


  • Poke (''poe-kay''), or raw fish marinated in lemon or lime juice with other condiments and a little coconut cream is a tradional lū‘au food which is offered with sea salt, seaweed and onions.


  • Lomilomi salmon. In Hawaiian, lomilomi means to massage, or in this case to break the salmon into small pieces, which are then mixed with tomatoes, onions, and other small condiments, giving it a delicious tangy taste that goes great with poi. This style of fish preparation was actually introduced to Hawaiians by early western sailors.


  • Pipi kaula , literally "beef rope" or seasoned beef jerky, harks back to the earliest days of western sailors who brought their salt beef aboard ship in barrels. In fact, on some of the South Pacific islands, you can still buy a barrel of salt beef.


  • Kalua pua‘a , or roast pork, as its prepared in the Hawaiian ‘imu or underground steam oven. Kalua pig is traditionally seasoned with sea salt and sometimes green onions. Some people prefer the crispy skin from a whole roasted pig.


Asian tastes have also contributed another lū‘au favourite — chicken long rice. Sometimes also called thread or bean noodles, they are boiled (often in a chicken base) and served hot with pieces of chicken. Add salt and garnish with green onions. If the texture seems a little strange at first, try it over a little white rice.

Of course, in true Hawaiian lū‘au fashion, you can go back for more as many times as you can stagger through the line.

If you're putting on your own luau, other foods you might consider include barbecued shrimp, crab claws on ice, barbecued steak (pulehu). On the sweet side, consider pineapple or mango sherbet, and pineapple upside-down cake.


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