Distinctively an island-style dish, poke is a colorful and delectable seafood specialty. It was first developed by the Polynesians centuries ago and was originally made with raw fish from nearby reefs.
In recent years, it’s become a Hawaiian favorite that has been gaining popularity throughout the mainland United States as well.
What is poke?
In the Hawaiian language, poke (pronounced poh-keh) literally means to cut or slice crosswise into pieces. It can be enjoyed as an appetizer or main course, and it traditionally featured chunks of ahi tuna in a marinade of soy sauce or sesame oil (although today you can find it made with salmon or other fresh, raw fish).
It’s blended and served in a deep bowl with a delectable assortment of vegetables, such as seaweed, scallions, edamame and avocado and is seasoned with sea salt, umami and other spices. The classic style is usually served over rice, but you can also find it served atop noodles or grilled vegetables.
Unique take on traditional dish at poke festival — Photo courtesy of J Moeller photo
But poke is not just served in Hawaii. This dish has become increasingly popular across the United States in recent years, with a number of poke cafes opening throughout the country. It’s also not unusual to see poke appearing on menus in casual and upscale restaurants as well.
A longtime poke expert, chef Sam Choy is known as the “Godfather of Poke,” and he’s one of the leaders in developing and popularizing Hawaii’s regional cuisine. As a recognized culinary authority across the world, Choy is a James Beard Award-winning chef and the author of nearly twenty cookbooks.
He owns several restaurants, and has appeared on many TV cooking shows over the years including “Chopped: Grill Masters” and “Iron Chef America.”
The start of Poke Fest
Chef Sam Choy — Photo courtesy of J Moeller photo
To further shine a spotlight on poke, chef Choy launched the first annual Poke Fest on the island of Kauai. This inaugural event was held on the grounds of the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, which is located in Poipu Beach, on the island’s sunny southern tip.
The event, which supported local organization Kauai Habitat for Humanity, attracted a crowd of several hundred foodie fans across the island. And Koloa Landing Resort was selected to play host because it’s near and dear to chef Choy’s heart. Choy helped to develop the menus for the hotel’s Holoholo Grill, a farm-to-table casual restaurant featuring locally-sourced ingredients. Of course, one of his signature dishes is his poke, a popular menu favorite.
The indoor-outdoor festival included a poke demonstration by chef Sam Choy, a poke competition (with tastings for attendees), as well as a farmer’s market and local craft vendors.
The contest was open to all and welcomed both professional chefs, as well as amateur cooking enthusiasts to conceptualize and present their own versions of creative poke bowls. The poke dishes were then tasted and judged by the attendees at the festival. Four winners were selected, each receiving a prize for their contributions.
Poke at Koloa Landing Resort poke festival — Photo courtesy of J Moeller photo
During his own poke demonstration on stage at the event, chef Choy made his version of the dish called “oka,” which is a Samoan-style poke made with salt, coconut milk and hot peppers.
Chef Choy says, “I’ve been involved with poke contests for 30 years on Hawaii, and this is the first time we’ve created an event for Kauai – and it certainly won’t be the last. This event has been fun, memorable and magical and the Koloa Landing helped so much with all the logistics and details.
“Poke is truly Hawaii’s food – and it’s great to have the pros alongside the amateurs showing off their recipes. These islands have a lot of wonderful chefs and fantastic food, so it’s always fun to share these traditions with the people who live here as well as the guests at this resort.”
The first annual Poke Fest winners
How many ways do you poke? — Photo courtesy of Koloa Landing resort
Overall Winner (People’s choice)
Taylor Sakimae (owner of Kauai Poke Company) – Poke nacho, salmon skin chip, gluten-free tamari
Pro Winner
Tyson Peterson (executive chef of The Sebastian Hotel in Vail, Colorado) – Guaca-poke
Amateur Winner
Sonny Thater (Kauai resident) – Spicy bigeye tuna crunch with smoked tako
Media’s Choice
Nancy Koumal (Kauai resident) – Sockeye and root vegetable poke
Stacy Manzo, the director of sales and marketing at the resort says, “We are proud to offer an event that both our resort guests and community can share and enjoy. Everybody has their own style of poke and we thought it would be a lot of fun to showcase so many variations and spotlight the winners’ recipes on our resort’s menu.”
Note: This year’s Kauai Poke Fest will be held on Saturday, November 14, 2020.