Veganizing Hawaiian Food

Creative vegan chefs worldwide bring environmental sustainability, healthful nutrition and compassion for animals to the kitchen.  Some specialize in creating animal-free versions of traditional Hawaiian dishes and inventing new dishes that evoke the spirit and flavors of Hawaii.

For instance, poke, pronounced POH-keh, is a traditional mainstay featuring chunks of raw, marinated fish tossed over rice topped with vegetables and a spicy dressing or sauce. Examples of veganized versions include seaweed and tofu poke and vegan poke bowl. Traditional dishes like musubi (Japanese rice balls), loco moco (rice, hamburger, fried egg and brown gravy) and manapua (fluffy buns often stuffed with pork) have also been veganized. Some Hawaiian dishes are vegan or almost vegan and may only require minor tweaks.

When you’re ready to veganize Hawaiian dishes, here are a number of guides:

More than 100 recipes are included in Lillian Cumic’s Hawaii a Vegan Paradise.  According to her promo, “Her plant-based recipes range from simple tofu poke to a mouth-watering Loco Moco with sunny-side-up vegan eggs, and to satisfy the sweet tooth in all of us, decadent chocolate cake and Meyer lemon cupcakes. The recipes dazzle with colorful and tasty dishes that can proudly be taken to ohana get-togethers or special celebrations.”

Some diehard fans of raw fish and pork may never accept tofu or seitan as substitutes, no matter how skillfully prepared.  Perhaps the greatest number of carnivores may be reached through more contemporary dishes.  Pinterest, for example, features recipes for Hawaiian Chickpea Burgers, Coconut Crusted Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce, Vegan Polynesian Tempeh Wings, Vegan Huli Huli Cauliflower Bites, Hawaiian Vegan Sloppy Joe, Vegan Hawaiian BBQ Pizza, Easy Vegan Hawaii Teriyaki and many more. In addition, this extensive collection of recipes may also inspire you to create food that extends the spirit of aloha to people and animals.

If you don’t feel like cooking, vegan and vegan-friendly cafés and food trucks throughout Maui offer imaginative new Hawaiian cuisine. The possibilities are endless.