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Best books to learn Hawaiian cooking, in order

Hawaiian food is really several cuisines braided together — Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Chinese — and cooking it well means knowing which thread you're pulling. Start with that history and the traditional foundations: poi, kalua, laulau, poke as it's actually made. Then the plantation-era fusion of plate lunch and saimin, then contemporary island cooking. Without the history, you're just seasoning things with pineapple.

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Reading paths for hawaiian cooking

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Frequently asked questions

How should I approach learning hawaiian cooking?
Hawaiian food is really several cuisines braided together — Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Chinese — and cooking it well means knowing which thread you're pulling. Start with that history and the traditional foundations: poi, kalua, laulau, poke as it's actually made. Then the plantation-era fusion of plate lunch and saimin, then contemporary island cooking. Without the history, you're just seasoning things with pineapple.
What's a good book to start hawaiian cooking with?
A strong starting point is The poke cookbook by Martha Cheng. The ordered reading paths above show exactly where it fits and what to read next.
What should I read after hawaiian cooking?
Once you have the fundamentals, explore closely related subjects like Georgian cuisine of the Caucasus, Sicilian cooking, Molecular gastronomy.

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