Poke. It seems like it’s everywhere these days. Everyone and their Mama/Papa/Aunty/Uncle/Sistah/Braddah/Cousin/Friend has opened up some sort of poke business, eaten at one of these shops, or at the very least, seen references about a poke place at least once in their lifetimes. It is currently a popular source of nourishment around the world, and due to its growing fame, has been featured on TV, print, radio, blogs and vlogs all over.

And yet, too many people don’t know that poke, and all it’s gloriousness specifically originates in Hawai’i. Yuh huh. It’s true. Poke is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) food that is rooted in Polynesia.

Call it a pūpū, call it an hors d’oeuvre, call it a complete meal, call it a snack. Whatever you want to label it as in your diet tracking app is all good. Just don’t call it poke (as in, I’m going to poke your eyes further back into your head) or poki (which means something different entirely.)

Poke is pronounced, “poh-keh” and rhymes with okay. (Without the hard ‘ay’) There is no other way to say it without sounding like a complete kook, but if you don’t mind looking like a doofus and are hard pressed on, ‘pronouncing it however which way you want because you don’t care’, then by all means, keep it up. You’re doing a good job. (Hey, Beta’s need praise too.)

In ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i, (Hawaiian language) the word poke translates to: “to slice, or cut crosswise into pieces” and this describes the preparation of the meal perfectly.

This seafood dish has been a delicacy in Hawai’i prior to foreign arrival. It traditionally consists of raw fish (i’a), cut into small, bite sized square pieces (poke) and mixed with other ingredients such as sea salt (pa’a kai), seaweed (limu), chili peppers (nī’oi), kukui nut (inamona), and other edible treasures found in the ocean i.e., he’e, (octopus) muhe’e, (squid) ‘opihi, (limpet) ‘opae, (shrimp) etc. But due to the influx and influence of the (mainly Asian) plantation cultures who began arriving in the islands over the past hundred years or so, other flavors like shoyu (soy sauce) sugar, onions/green onions and sesame oil have been added in to the mix for a more kickin’ multi-cultural experience.

Poke is a gourmet dish that I (and many others) have enjoyed since I (we) learned how to chew. For me it is a comfort food that I, and generations before me in Hawai’i…