Could there be a more perfect book to read on my way home? The moment after I bought my plane ticket, I started a must-have Hawaii food list on my "Reminders" app. When most people plan a trip to Hawaii, they think about the beach and drinks with little umbrellas. I think about Family, Friend and FOOD! Hawaii people love to eat and we love to talk about food.
Besides explaining where some of my favorite Hawaii foods originated, the book also captures why food is so important in Hawaii. "In a society that has little in common except the language 'pidgin' where neither religion, nor literature, nor art, nor music, nor social customs, nor a long shared history provide a common ground, Local Food serves as an important, indeed essential, basis that glues the diverse people of Hawaii together." "Recognizing this use of food as a common language drives home the point that food sustains more than the body, that it also sustains cultures. What makes people in Hawaii feel they belong is that they share Local Food." These sentences, on page 7, perfectly capture why home and food are so intertwined in my mind and heart.
I graciously ate my way through my Hawaii trip: Korean BBQ, apple bananas, Dobash cake, lau lau, fried noodles and lychee just to name a few. Of course I had a few things mentioned in the book:
 |
| Saimin |
 |
| Andagi |
 |
| Teriyaki Steak |
 |
| Seeds |
This book provided a"story" to some of the foods I have always enjoyed. It helped me appreciate how unique it is to grow up in Hawaii and be exposed to a fusion of food and culture. I admire the author's culinary curiosity. Rachel Lauden weaves history and recipes together in a way that honors Hawaii's heritage. It added another layer of enjoyablity to my trip home.
"The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage" by Rachel Laudan:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Food-Paradise-Exploring-Culinary/dp/0824817788
No comments:
Post a Comment