Ask any local what to eat first in the islands, and odds are the answer is poke. But what is poke, exactly? At its simplest, poke (pronounced POH-keh, not "poke-y") is cubed raw fish — almost always ʻahi tuna — tossed with a handful of simple seasonings. No rice bowl chains needed: this dish has been part of Hawaiian food culture for centuries, long before it became a mainland lunch trend.
Where Poke Comes From
The word "poke" simply means "to slice" or "cut crosswise" in Hawaiian, and that's exactly what early Hawaiians did with reef fish — cutting it into small pieces and seasoning it with sea salt, crushed kukui nut (ʻinamona), and seaweed (limu). It was fishermen's food: a quick way to season the catch right on the beach, using whatever was on hand. There was no soy sauce, no sesame oil, no rice bowl — just fresh fish and ocean-gathered seasonings.
How Poke Became What It Is Today
Modern poke took shape as waves of immigrants arrived in Hawaiʻi through the plantation era, each adding their own touch. Japanese immigrants brought shoyu (soy sauce) and sesame oil; Korean influences added gochujang and sesame seeds; and local plate-lunch culture served it up over warm rice. Today's classic shoyu ʻahi poke — soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, and sweet onion folded through cubes of sashimi-grade tuna — is the version you'll find at nearly every grocery store deli counter and poke shop across the islands.
Common Types of Poke You'll Find in Hawaiʻi
Once you start looking, you'll find poke comes in more varieties than you'd expect:
- Shoyu ʻahi poke — the classic, with soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, and green onion.
- Spicy poke — tuna tossed with a mayo-based chili sauce, popular at poke bowl counters.
- Tako poke — made with cooked octopus instead of raw fish.
- Limu poke — a more traditional style built around fresh or dried seaweed.
- Salmon or ʻahi poke bowls — the mainland-style version, served over rice with avocado, edamame, and furikake.
Where to Try It
Skip the tourist traps and head to a local grocery store deli — Foodland and Tamura's are legendary for their poke counters — or a neighborhood fish market. On the Big Island, Kona's harbor-side markets often sell poke made from fish caught that same morning. However you order it, the test of good poke is simple: the fish should taste clean, cold, and fresh, never fishy.
Bring the islands home: Explore our Food & Drink collection — original designs from our Native Hawaiian–owned studio in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. Here are a few of the newest additions:
Aloha Wine O'Clock Tee — a sunset-hued tee made for golden-hour pours and lanai happy hours.
Hawaii Foodie Life Tee — for the ones who plan every day's itinerary around the next plate lunch.
Craft Beer Hawaii Tee — a laid-back nod to the islands' growing local brewery scene.