Another Reason to Vacation in Hawaii: The Food!

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Years ago in Hawaii, when I was the food editor of the Honolulu Advertiser, “fine dining” meant an elaborate leatherette menu of classic French dishes prepared by European chefs, often made with imported European ingredients. My visiting New York friends used to wonder why food in Hawaii was always a disappointment, given the wealth of fresh produce growing abundantly everywhere (and obviously being ignored).

Today, of course, Hawaii continues its culinary renaissance, which started in the early 1990s with a dozen chefs vowing to use their talents to showcase the best of local ingredients in uniquely local interpretations. Once exclusive to high-end dining, the attitude has infected the next generation of young chefs across a wide spectrum of eateries, spurring them to push the boundaries as they draw on their cultural roots, fostering local pride.

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Kale: Enjoying Bitter

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

As a food professional, I’ve tracked American eating habits over decades and what truly astonishes me is how quickly our food sophistication has ramped up in recent years.

What we consider common ingredients today, such as cumin, fish sauce, salsa, miso, quinoa, hoisin or sriracha, were not on the culinary radar of most Americans in the 70s. We’ve gone from iceberg lettuce to arugula; pre-sliced white bread to rustic loaves.

But the biggest change, I think, is in how we’ve learned to embrace bitter flavors, such as dark chocolate, espresso and hardier greens like kale.

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