Poke (dish)

Poke is a tasty fish dish.

The name means to slice or cut. People cut raw fish into small bits. They mix it with sauce.

Long ago, it was a quick snack. People used sea salt to season it. Now, people add many things. They use soy sauce and sesame oil. Some add onions or chili peppers. It is a special food from Hawaii.

Poke is a popular food from Hawaii. The name means to slice or cut into pieces.

Long ago, it was a simple snack. People used bits of fish from their catch. They seasoned the fish with sea salt and inamona, which is a relish.

Over time, new things were added to the dish. People from China and Japan moved to Hawaii. They brought soy sauce and sesame oil. These are very common flavors today. You might also find Maui onions or chili peppers in your bowl.

Many kinds of fish are used for poke. Tuna is a very popular choice. People use albacore, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna. Some people even use octopus. Today, poke is served in many ways. You can eat it as a small snack. You can also have it as a poke bowl. A bowl is often served over cooked rice. Some chefs even make fried poke. It is a dish that brings many flavors together.

Poke is a famous dish from the islands of Hawaii. The name comes from the Hawaiian word for slicing or cutting things into pieces.

It is usually made of raw fish that has been diced into cubes. This fish is then tossed in a tasty sauce. People enjoy eating it as a small starter or a full meal. Today, it is a way for people to share many different flavors in one bowl.

Making poke involves mixing fresh fish with many different seasonings. In the past, people used sea salt and inamona, which is a special relish. They sometimes added limu, which is a type of seaweed, to the mix.

Nowadays, many people use soy sauce and sesame oil for a classic taste. You might also see spicy flavors like Sriracha and mayonnaise in a "spicy ahi" version. Some bowls even include Maui onions, chili peppers, or crunchy sea urchin.

Long ago, poke began as a simple snack for people in Hawaii. In ancient times, many fish were caught in shallow reefs or large fishponds. Some special fish caught in the deep sea were saved for chiefs. The first poke was made from small cut-offs from a larger catch. These pieces were eaten right away with salt and inamona. Over many years, new ingredients arrived from other places. Captain James Cook brought onion seeds in 1778, and later, people from China and Japan brought soy sauce and sesame oil.

Many different kinds of seafood can be used to make this dish. Tuna is one of the most popular choices found at seafood counters. You can find albacore, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna used in many recipes.

Other people enjoy using octopus, which is called tako in Japanese. Some recipes even use blue marlin or striped marlin. While most people eat the fish raw, some chefs like Sam Choy have even made "fried poke." You can even find vegetarian versions made with tofu.

Poke has become a very popular food all over the world. In Hawaii, a "poke bowl" usually means the fish is served over cooked rice. In other places, it might be served with chips like "poke nachos." Since 2012, poke bowls have become much more common in North America. Some restaurants even let you pick and choose your own ingredients to build a custom bowl. This makes the dish feel like a fun way to explore many different tastes at once.

Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish consisting of diced raw fish tossed in a flavorful sauce. The name comes from the Hawaiian word for "to slice" or "to cut crosswise into pieces."

It serves as either a light appetizer or a substantial main course. While it is often associated with raw seafood, contemporary versions are quite freeform. Chefs may cure the fish like ceviche or even cook it entirely. Some modern variations even use non-fish ingredients like tofu or beef. This flexibility allows the dish to adapt to many different culinary styles.

To prepare poke, a cook must first dice the fish into small, even cubes. The seasoning process then transforms these pieces through various flavor profiles. Traditionally, the fish was seasoned with sea salt and inamona, a special relish. This relish was made by mixing dried octopus ink sacs, fish liver, and salt.

Modern preparations often follow a different sequence of flavors. Many people start with a base of soy sauce and sesame oil. They might then add Maui onions, scallions, or ogo, which is a type of seaweed.

More intense versions, like "spicy ahi," use a mixture of Sriracha and mayonnaise.

There are many distinct types of seafood used in poke depending on the region and preference. Tuna is the most common choice found at local Hawaiian seafood counters. This includes albacore tuna, also known as tombo, and bigeye tuna, or mebachi. Yellowfin tuna, called kihada, is another popular option.

Other seafood choices include octopus, known as tako, or various types of marlin. Some recipes even feature shellfish like opihi, which includes yellowfoot and blackfoot varieties. Even vegetarian options like tofu have become a common way to enjoy the dish.

The history of poke is tied to the changing social structures of Hawaii. In the pre-contact period, the kapu system regulated how food was shared. Most fish were caught in shallow reefs or large fishponds near the shore. Fish caught in the deep sea were reserved specifically for chiefs. Poke began as simple cut-offs from a catch to be eaten as a snack. These pieces were often eaten raw with sea salt and inamona. Over time, outside influences introduced new ingredients that changed the dish forever.

Several historical arrivals shaped the modern flavors of poke. Captain James Cook brought onion seeds to the islands in 1778. Later, Francisco de Paula Marin introduced tomatoes and helped popularize onions. In the 1830s, Hawaiians were introduced to salmon through contact with the Pacific Northwest. By the mid-19th century, immigrants from China and Japan arrived as plantation laborers. They brought essential ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, and namerō. These additions helped create the fusion flavors we recognize today.

The tuna industry significantly impacted how poke is consumed in the modern era. Before 1900, tuna fishing was small-scale and used canoes near the reef. Between the 1920s and 1930s, Japanese fishing vessels dominated the Hawaiian waters. They primarily used longline fishing for skipjack tuna. By the 1970s, a growing demand for sashimi-grade tuna changed the market. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna became highly sought after for export. In 1991, the price of yellowfin tuna was 58% higher than bigeye tuna.

This economic shift influenced which fish were available for local poke.

In the 1990s, a movement known as Hawaii Regional Cuisine helped elevate poke. Chefs like Sam Choy advocated for a distinct fusion style using local ingredients. Choy started a recipe contest in 1992 to showcase new flavor combinations. This contest offered more than $15,000 in cash and prizes to participants. This movement helped turn a common snack into an upscale restaurant item. Today, poke has spread far beyond Hawaii. In North America, the popularity of poke bowls grew rapidly after 2012. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of Hawaiian restaurants on Foursquare doubled from 342 to 700.