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Kau Kau: the all-purpose Hawaiian pidgin term for food (derived from the Chinese "chow chow").

         
         photo by Shuzo Uemoto

I'm very pleased to welcome Arnold Hiura to alphabet soup today, not only because he has written a fabulous new book about Hawai'i's culinary history, but because this interview has given me the opportunity to reconnect with an old college classmate.

Arnold and I were both English majors at the University of Hawai'i, where we took the same Shakespeare class in grad school. I was no fool -- I made sure I sat next to him, hoping that some of his brains and writing talent would rub off on me. ☺

  

After graduation, Arnold taught English for a few years at Punahou, a prestigious private school on O'ahu. One of his students was none other than a certain Barry Obama. Fast forward to last December, when the Obamas were in Hawai'i for Christmas. They dined at one of their favorite restaurants, Alan Wong's in Honolulu, at which time Chef Wong gifted the President with a copy of Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands. I love how things come full
circle -- how small and friendly the world can be, how food brings people together.

Mrs. Obama once said, "In order to understand Barack, you have to understand Hawai'i." I say, in order to understand Hawai'i, you must understand the food. What do Hawaiians eat and why? Where do the dishes come from? How were they adapted to suit island living? How have the different ethnic groups retained their distinct identities while forging a common bond through the evolution of a "local" style of cooking? Moreover, how have Island cooks, through time, shaped local society? 


 Care for a bowl of saimin? (photo by Adriana Torres Chong)

Take any food closely identified with the Islands -- the iconic Spam® musubi, saimin, barbecue (teriyaki), kimchee, plate lunch, manapua, malasadas, shave ice -- at its heart there is a fascinating story, an ethnicity, a social dynamic, a heritage, a place, a period in history, and countless anecdotes local people love to share.

In Kau Kau, Arnold examines these different facets by profiling local food pioneers, farmers, chefs, restaurateurs, and business owners. His chapters on the roots of Hawai'i cuisine, immigrant plantation culture, the effects of WWII, and the Hawaiian Renaissance provide a broader context for the numerous ingredients that have contributed to Hawai'i's mixed plate.


 Sushi (photo by Shuzo Uemoto).

There are 70+ authentic recipes (everything from simple comfort food to Hawai'i Regional Cuisine chef dishes), as well as interesting sidebars ("Kau Kau Connections"), offering simple activities for those who want to have some fun with local food (Arnold rhapsodizes about loco moco; his wife, Eloise, shares her father's famous teriyaki recipe; there's even advice on how to order shave ice and plate lunches). Even though I grew up with this food, I l