In my utter disappointment while finishing off a plate of pygmy Sake rolls in Vancouver recently, I came to the conclusion that there are two camps of sushi freaks out there: culinary art lovers who admire the intricate union of rice, seaweed and sea creature, the way the sprinkled roe and stringed carrots embrace the roll. To them, the sushi cone is a sensory masterpiece.

And then there are the others—the sashimi heads who would paste larvae to our tongues and dunk our heads over the side of a boat into the briny drink in the hopes that a tuna, halibut, marlin or salmon will swim up within chomping distance, just so we could fill our gob with succulent raw fish, fresh and still wiggling, while we chewed, smiling.

It was this visceral need—for what? Protein? Predatory instinct?—that made me fall for Peruvian ceviche, that beguiling pre-Columbian sustenance of raw sea bass, swordfish or tuna. (Although it isn’t really raw—more like cold-cooked in lime juice, chilies and salt.) I’d always make sure to load up before leaving the country, knowing that no matter how common on the South American coast, North America just couldn’t get it perfect.

But all that was before a foray into Hawaiian cuisine—keeper of poke (rhymes with “okay”), the equally ancient food of Island royalty and their subjects.

Primarily served as pupu (a snack or appetizer) with toothpicks, salad forks or chopsticks as utensils, poke means “to cut into little pieces” and was a mouthwateringly simple way to prepare raw fish in Hawaii’s warm climate before refrigeration—and protein shakes. Salted and seasoned raw fish was either massaged with sea salt (a process known as lomi) or, if the fish was larger—say a skipjack tuna—cut into small, bite-sized pieces. And although the Islands’ abundance of marine life made the dish distinctly Hawaiian, it was the second, less-heralded ingredient that kept it edible.

’Alaea Hawaiian sea salt, non-processed and rich in trace minerals found in seawater, was enriched with harvested reddish Hawaiian clay (’Alaea), itself bursting with iron oxide. In fact, the Islands’ (like the rest of North America’s) focus on locally grown, sustainable cuisine is revitalizing an ancient science vital to the Polynesian kingdom’s survival—sea salt harvesting.

Other traditional seasonings included seaweed (limu) and roasted ground kukui nut (’inamona). The green onions, chili peppers and soya sauce (shoyu) that dress modern poke were Western and Asian riffs on an endemic dish.

Today, poke (prepared commercially from yellow-fin or big-eye tuna known regionally as ahi) is still not as common as ceviche in Lima, or nachos in Orange County. But like any good local favourite, it is easy to find if you know where to look. 

Sure, restaurants like Tamura’s (440 Kilani Ave., Wahiawa; 808-622-4117) serve it up fresh and perfect, but you’re as likely to blow your mind at nondescript destinations like Tanioka’s Fish Market (94-903 Farrington Highway; 808-671-3779; taniokas.com)—single-handedly trying to offer up enlightened Island diners the 100 or so types of poke rumoured to exist in the state. Even Foodland Supermarket gets into the medal round consistently when locals are asked to pick Honolulu’s best poke. It’s like saying the best steak in Alberta could be picked up at Safeway for under a tenner—in Styrofoam, with a plastic fork and knife.

A poke contest started in 1992 by legendary Hawaiian chef Sam Choy celebrated 15 years in September. His reason? Poke is his land’s “soul food,” he says.

The Grand Prize: Best Traditional Poke, Aloha Festivals’ Poke Contest

by Shane Sumarnap, Ho’olehua, Moloka’i

6 lbs. scraped O’io (bone fish) 

2 lbs. ’Alaeke crab (white crab)

3 cups ’Opihi (Limpet)

1/2 cup ’Inamona (a relish made
of ground Kukui nuts)

3 cups dry Aku (sun-dried Bonito)

3 Cups Moloka’i Dry He’e (octopus)

1 cup Kohu (seaweed, also called ogo)

1 cup Waiwai’iole (seaweed,
also called “rat’s foot”)

Moloka’i pa’akai (sea salt)

Shane says to freeze the bone fish first, then take it out and massage it a little to soften. Run a sharp knife down the backbone to make a fillet, then scrape the meat off the skin.

In large bowl combine all ingredients and chill.