My trip to Hawaii inspired this scrumptious Ahi Poke Bowl recipe, one of my absolute foodie highlights!
I was quite amused at the fusion of cuisine in Hawaii having a mixture of western deep fried everything, quality char grilled meats and Japanese inspired fresh raw fish and broths.
All incorporating and celebration of the quality local fruits found around the island.
One dish that stood out to me during my time in Oahu for its flavor and quality was the Poke.
Poke is one of the main dishes of native Hawaiian cuisine and basically put, it’s a raw fish and tasty sauce extravaganza.
Historically Poke was made with small reef fish then with the introduction of Japanese they brought with them the idea of using Salmon, to now the most common fish used is Tuna.
Poke is found in abundance in any quality supermarket deli section (some of those offering up to 20 different flavor combinations).
You will also find specialty cafes and restaurants offering a high-end version of the Hawaiian specialty, making it as readily available as a bottle of water.
I found this to be a very refreshing and lite snack during a hot Hawaiian day, the fish melted in your mouth, and the sauce complemented not overpowered.
It was the perfect snack while sitting on white sandy beaches overlooking clear blue water.
Ahi Poke is a dish you could never get bored of with the variations of sauces, herbs, seeds and nuts just to mention a few, you can be as creative or traditional as you please.
This is one of those handy dishes you can easily fill out by adding rice or salad to make it more substantial.
No matter what flavor combination you go with, the most important tip to remember is to use a sashimi grade fish.
Whether you decide to go with Tuna, Salmon or something a bit more adventurous like Scallops, this will be the feature of your dish, so you need to use the best quality available.
For these sauce combinations I recommend using and oily sashimi grade fish such as Tuna or Salmon.
Hawaiian Ahi Poke Bowl Recipe
A nice light flavour combination for those who a new to Poke and can also be served with steamy rice.
Ingredients
- Edamame - 1/4 cup
- Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
- Rice wine vinegar - Splash
- Ginger freshly grated - 1/2 tsp
- Toasted sesame seeds - Pinch
- Raw tuna or salmon - 250g
- Scallions finely chopped - 2
- Avocado sliced - 1/2
- Cherry tomatoes (halved) - 6
Instructions
- In a saucepan gently heat the light soy, sesame oil, white sugar and rice wine vinegar, stirring until the sugar dissolves
- Taste the sauce and adjust to your liking. Depending on your taste you may want to add more vinegar or sugar to balance the salt in the soy sauce
- Once the sauce is to your taste let it cool completely
- Stir the grated ginger into the cooled sauce then mix in your sashimi grade fish of choice and edamame
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and chopped scallions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 540Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 131mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 61g
I also noticed the shaved ice dessert is hugely popular in Hawaii which is, again, inspired by the Japanese.
Although part of the USA, the food here in Hawaii is not as unhealthy as it is in mainland America. It definitely has a thriving culture to check out when you’re on the island!