Luaus, Homey to Hokey

Come luau time at Kaumakapili Church in Honolulu, nobody in the congregation gets much rest.

Church members spend four days preparing enough food for the diners--2,000 of them. Chairwoman Ruby Kaneao’s shopping list is mind-boggling: 2,100 pounds of pork, 800 pounds of poi, 270 pounds of sweet potatoes, 250 pounds of swordfish, 170 pounds of salmon and 275 whole pineapples.

No wonder it takes 200 volunteers organized into about 30 committees to handle the details--from poi to parking to publicity.

“We have three committees for the pig alone: one to take care of cooking it, another to handle deboning it and the third to make sure it’s kept hot,” Kaneao says with a laugh.

At a time when a corps of talented chefs and their gourmet cuisine are stealing the spotlight of Hawaii’s dining scene, it’s easy to forget an old tradition: the luau. But as a lifetime resident of the islands, I still think this festive feast is one of the best ways to savor the flavor of Hawaiian culture, whether you’re at a community event in rural Oahu or a posh resort on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast.

Some luaus are merely tourist spectacles, distortions of native culture. Others are better--more authentic. The trick is picking the right one.

Legend says the luau originated centuries ago, during the reign of Chief Hawaii Loa. His daughter was born on a bright, moonlit night, and thereafter, whenever the moon was roundest--usually on the 16th day of the lunar month--people celebrated with music, dance and copious food and drink.

This fete was called ahaaina, which translates as “to collect together for eating.” The word “luau” was adopted in the mid-1800s, a reference to the leafy green tops of taro plants that were served at the gatherings.

Luaus don’t get much more authentic than Kaumakapili Church’s celebration, held only on the third Saturday of July.

Volunteers warmly welcome guests into a social hall adorned with vivid flowers and foliage handpicked that morning from church members’ yards. Someone’s uncle plays the ukulele, a dad dances, a sister sings. The home-grown entertainment may lack polish, but not pizazz. The camaraderie is infectious. First-timers arrive as strangers and leave as friends.

That’s not to say an authentic luau can’t be found at a resort. One of the best is at Kona Village Resort, on the western shores of the Big Island. The resort is laid out like an old Polynesian village, with 125 thatch-roofed bungalows set by the beach and around palm-fringed lagoons. (The rooms don’t have alarm clocks, radios or TVs; you feel as if you’ve been whisked back to old Hawaii, ambience that adds to the luau experience.)

Here, as at most traditional luaus, the menu centers on kalua pig (kalua means “to bake in the underground oven”). Preparations begin around 9 a.m., when the staff lights mesquite wood and shredded banana tree trunks in an imu, a rectangular pit about 3 feet deep filled with cooking stones.

In the early afternoon, about 20 of the red-hot stones are placed inside a cleaned pig. The meat then goes into the imu, along with bundles of sweet potatoes, bananas, taro, fish and other delicacies wrapped in the leaves of the Polynesian ti plant.

The old Hawaiians had only rushes, grasses and leaves to seal in the heat, but these days wire mesh, aluminum foil, moist burlap sacks and canvas tarps protect the pig under a cover of sand and soil. After five or six hours of cooking, the succulent, smoky-flavored meat is ready to be carved and shredded by hand.

Another delicacy on Kona Village’s menu is opihi, or limpets pried from lava rocks along the shore. High surf makes harvesting them a dangerous task, so they’re expensive--and a rare find at luaus nowadays.

The rest of the spread includes more traditional fare: squid luau, squid and coconut milk cooked in taro leaves; baked sweet potato; ahi poke, chunks of raw yellowfin tuna mixed with seaweed, Hawaiian salt and ground kukui nuts (also called candlenuts); and banana and papaya poe, mashed fruit baked with pineapple juice and coconut milk.

Kona Village strives for the low-key ambience of an authentic luau, not the glitzy spectacle offered at some other resorts. The same staff who readied the imu and prepared the kalua pig performs traditional hula and oli (storytelling chants), making the event more of a family-oriented, community affair.

Centuries ago, the luau menu included large wooden bowls of opihi, raw crab and squid blended with taro tops and coconut milk. Raw beef liver was blended with chopped seaweed and ground kukui nuts to make a dish called ake.

Hawaiian farmers used to cultivate nearly 200 varieties of taro, which ranged in color from white to deep purple. The farmers knew which varieties had the tastiest leaves, which were best cooked and eaten whole like a potato, and which were preferable pounded with water into poi.

Of course, poi, which many newcomers regard as slightly more palatable than paste, still is a luau staple. The same is true of haupia, the rich pudding made with arrowroot and coconut cream.

But over the decades, the islands’ ethnic groups have augmented the traditional menu. These days, fare often includes cake, introduced by the New England missionaries; chicken long rice, contributed by Chinese sugar plantation workers; and pipikaula (beef jerky) and lomilomi salmon (seasoned with Hawaiian salt, onions and tomatoes), innovations of whalers who needed dishes that kept well on long expeditions at sea.

The Feast at Lele, in Lahaina on Maui, reflects this diversity, presenting four courses from different Polynesian islands. The menu is unusual and outstanding.

Steamed moi (threadfin) is among the dishes representing Hawaii. Octopus, lobster and ogo (seaweed) salad come from Tonga. Poisson cru and fafa (steamed chicken and taro leaf in coconut milk) turns attention to Tahiti. And the flavors of Samoa are found in grilled fish in banana leaf; shrimp and avocado with lilikoi (passion fruit); and palusami (breadfruit with taro leaf and coconut cream).

With the number of guests limited to 150, the Feast at Lele is relatively small. Diners sit in private groups, not at long banquet tables, so the setting is more intimate.

Local critics also rave about the romantic oceanfront setting, cultural sensitivity and genuine hospitality of Old Lahaina Luau on Maui. With a spectacular sunset as a backdrop, guests can dine “regular style” at tables or “traditional style” on lauhala mats set on the ground.

The meal also includes items not often seen on luau buffets, such as pohole salad, which consists of pohole fern shoots, Maui onions and tomatoes.

For many visitors, though, the activities and entertainment that accompany the food are as important as the meal itself.

Paradise Cove, on the western coast of Oahu about 10 miles from Pearl Harbor, holds an imu ceremony, during which the kalua pig is unearthed.

Guests play island games, such as spear throwing and ulu maika, bowling. They also can get their feet wet--literally--at a hukilau. Just like the Hawaiians of old, they venture into the ocean holding a large net, then make noise and splash the water in hopes that frightened fish will jump in. Guests stay in shallow water, so the net usually stays empty, but they do catch a glimpse of tradition.

Paradise Cove also ranks high on Hawaii’s list of luaus in large part because of its lovely beachfront locale, which feels far removed from urban Oahu.

Another promising choice is the Aston Keauhou Beach Resort, a recently renovated hotel on the Big Island that plans to offer luaus starting Sept. 10. What makes this celebration interesting is the entertainment lineup, featuring well-known Hawaiian historian and performer Nani Lim and her hula troupe, Na Lei O Kaholoku Halau.

The planned luau activities are extensive, including fishnet-throwing demonstrations, poi pounding, tapa-cloth making and lauhala weaving. Guests will be able to play games such as konane (Hawaiian checkers).

But as Kaumakapili Church proves, community effort can make a luau just as special as a seaside setting or elaborate entertainment. This year the event raised about $15,000 for the restoration of the 163-year-old church.

“The luau is our big annual fund-raiser, and everybody pitches in to help,” says Ruby Kaneao. “The luau has really helped to build our church ohana [family].”

And that may be the nicest thing about the luau: the aloha that lingers long after the last luscious morsel has been eaten.

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GUIDEBOOK

Savoring Festive Island Food

Here is a sampling of popular Hawaiian luaus. Some are ones I’ve visited and liked; others enjoy strong word of mouth. All are considered good choices, with the best ones offering the most authentic Hawaiian experience.

Some favorites: On Oahu, Kaumakapili Church, 766 N. King St., Honolulu 96817; telephone (808) 845-0908. One of the best luaus in the state; held on the third Saturday of July. $18 for all-you-can-eat sit-down dinner, $15 for takeout.

Paradise Cove Luau, 92189 Aliinui Drive, Kapolei 96707 (reservations at 2024 N. King St., Suite 209, Honolulu 96819); tel. (800) 775-2683, Internet https://www.paradisecovehawaii.com. Excellent entertainment and activities at Ko Olina. Basic buffet $52.50 for adults, $42.50 for children 13 to 18, $32.50 for children 6 to 12; includes transportation from Waikiki. Deluxe packages provide upgraded menus, preferred show seating, table service, unlimited cocktails and souvenirs.

On Maui, the Feast at Lele, 505 Front St., Lahaina 96761; tel. (808) 667-5353, Internet https://www.feastatlele.com. Food and entertainment from Hawaii, Tonga, Tahiti and Samoa; Tuesdays through Saturdays. $89 for adults, $59 for children 2 to 12.

Old Lahaina Luau, 1287 Front St., Lahaina 96761; tel. (800) 248-5828, Internet https://www.oldlahainaluau.com. Great setting, authentic food, culturally sensitive entertainment nightly. $69 for adults, $39 for kids 12 and under.

On the Big Island, Kona Village Resort, P.O. Box 1299, Kai-lua-Kona 96745; tel. (808) 325-5555, Internet https://www.konavillage.com. One of the most authentic luaus you’ll find at a resort, located on Kohala Coast; held Friday nights. $74 for adults, $45 for children 6 to 12.

On Kauai, Tahiti Nui Restaurant, P.O. Box 15, Hanalei 96714; tel. (808) 826-6277. Casual and down-home, it’s a popular place with locals; Wednesday nights. $52 for adults, $30 for children 12 to 17, $20 for children 3 to 11.

Other recommendations: On Oahu, Germaine’s Luau, 444 Hobron Lane, Suite 501, Honolulu 96815; tel. (800) 367-5655, Internet https://www.germainesluau.com.

Royal Hawaiian Hotel, 2259 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu 96815; tel. (808) 931-7194, Internet https://www.royal-hawaiian.com.

On Maui, Royal Lahaina Resort, 2780 Kekaa Drive, Lahaina 96761; tel. (808) 661-9119, Internet https://www.hawaiihotels.com.

Outrigger Wailea Resort, 3700 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea 96753; tel. (808) 879-1922, Internet https://www.outrigger.com.

Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort, 3550 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea 96753; tel. (808) 879-4900, Internet https://www.marriott.com.

On the Big Island, the Westin Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, 62-100 Mauna Kea Beach Drive, Kamuela 96743; tel. (808) 882-7222, Internet https://www.westinmaunakeabeachhotel.com.

Aston Keauhou Beach Resort, 78-6740 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona 96740; tel. (877) 532-8468, Internet https://www.aston-hotels.com. Starts Sept. 10.

On Kauai, the Kauai Coconut Beach Resort, P.O. Box 830, Kapaa 97646; tel. (808) 822-3455, Internet https://www.hawaiihotels.com.

Smith’s Tropical Paradise Luau, 174 Wailua Road, Wailua 96746; tel. (808) 821-6895, Internet https://www.hawaiian.net/~zx.smith.

For more information: Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, 2270 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 801, Honolulu, HI 96815; tel. (800) GO-HAWAII (464-2924), Internet https://www.gohawaii.com.

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Taking the Kids

* Programs help children learn about Hawaiian culture and traditions, L16.