Please Your Guests’ Appetite: Hawaiian Luau Food Menu

Image via emleung

So you’re done with the luau inspired decorations, invitations, and costume. How about the food? It is indeed true that aside from the music and conversations, people will probably go to your party because of food. Knowing what Hawaiian luau food to include in the menu is as vital as planning about the decorations of the venue.

You may incorporate the normal “party food” to the traditional luau food – which is comprised, basically, of Hawaiian, Asian, and Polynesian dishes. Whatever you serve to your guests, be sure that you give them the authentic luau party dining experience. That way, you may receive compliments from the crowd and build a good reputation as a host and organizer.

You must, however, keep in mind that although you have to include traditional Hawaiian luau food in the buffet feast, be sure that not all the food you serve taste too eccentric to the point that your guests would choose to just eat the pineapple on the table centerpiece.

To give you ideas on what foods have passed the taste buds of a number of people, here are some recipes that you might want to add in to your luau menu.

Main dish: Teriyaki Beef

Mix minced garlic, crushed ginger, finely chopped green onion, cilantro, ½ cup of sugar, 2/3 cups of soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of white wine together. Soak beef overnight in the sauce. Then bake it using a shallow pan and marinate it again with the sauce after turning the beef over. Bake again for one hour, 325 degrees. Wait until medium cooked.

Side dish: Hawaiian Poi

As a staple food in the traditional luau menu, Poi is pounded taro roots mixed with water. This starch dish is eaten with either salt, sugar, or soy sauce. Here’s how you cook Poi: put poi in a bowl, mix it using your hand (adding a little amount of water from time to time) until it reaches a smooth consistency. Refrigerate the poi to make it hard and firm. After that, steam it for about 20 minutes. Once done, add cold water and wait to reach the appropriate consistency.

Dessert: Pineapple Upside-down Cake

You might have had a baking class in your high school, so this recipe must be easy for you to follow. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for an enjoyable baking time.

First, you have to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring out a 9” cake pan and brush it with melted butter. Mix butter, sugar and ¼ cup of pineapple juice in the bottom of the pan. Then place the pineapple rings on the sugar mixture; you might want to let out your creative side here. Set it aside.
Mix together the white sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the white part and egg yolks separately. Pour ½ up of pineapple juice to a bowl and include vanilla and melted butter. Add this to the mixture of flour.

Fold in the beaten white of the eggs. Pour the batter over the top of the pineapple rings and sugar mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving.