Feed Me the Food of Your People

There is no greater feeling than sitting down to a meal with your family, in my opinion.  Everyone in my household gathers at the table to share a meal at least once a day.  It gives us a chance to share our day, share our dreams, share our goals.  When we travel, we always try to eat a local meal.  One of the first things we begin doing is asking what a meal looks like for them.

This may seem weird to some people, but a very important part of travel to us is the cultural differences.  When we went to Hawaii, we noticed that Japanese culture had mingled deeply with the Polynesian culture.  We were told by several locals that we needed to experience the Plate Lunch to get a true taste of Hawaii.  Excited, we went to a local hole in the wall that was recommended to us.

Now, first let me tell you that sometimes it is hard to get people to tell you where you can get a true local experience.  Whats more, with the advent of social media and internet travel guides, it is often very hard to find a place that isn't overrun with tourists.  When we go somewhere, we do not want to detract from local life.  We try our best to not disrupt other peoples lives.

Hawaiian Plate Lunch

Moving on, we went to an amazing little restaurant.  There were no other people that looked like us.  The native islanders were overwhelmingly welcoming.  They showed us what to order, told us how things were made and shared their lives with us.  It was an amazing experience.  Here are a few images of things that we ate.

Different types of Poke

The Poke was similar to sushi in some ways.  It was raw, marinated tuna.  It was not something I enjoyed terribly, but my husband loved it.  The Hawaiian Plate Lunch included Poi, Lomi Lomi, Kalua Pig, Pork Lau Lau and Chicken Long Rice.  It was all not something we were used to seeing, but it was all very good and full of flavor.
I encourage everyone to try to immerse themselves in the culture they are visiting.  Something I have learned about culture is that in many cultures, food is something we gather around.  It is central to many cultures.  So, enjoy the food of the people you are visiting.  Show their culture respect.  Happy travels!