Something Fishy

This colorful fellow is the state fish of Hawaii.  To those of us not from here, it is known as the reef trigger fish.  But if you are from here, then you know it as

humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

That's humu humu nuku nuku a pu a'a

It means "fish with a nose like a pig" and is one of the longer Hawaiian words.  The 1933 song, "My Little Grass Shack in Kealakakua" mentions this fish in the refrain.  You can listen to Don Ho sing it here.  If you are a fan of High School Musical 2 there is a song that is titled after this fish. 

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a grows to be about 8" long.  It inhabits the coral reefs around the islands.  It's teeth are blue! Locals often refer to it as humuhumu. 

More about fish...

One day last week when we were hungry and looking for something besides fast food for lunch, we happened, just by chance, to find this restaurant.  It is located in an unassuming strip mall in a town called Mililani.  We didn't kow what "poke" was but we thought we would give it a try.  We are glad we did!

  First off, we learned right away that the correct pronounciation is poh-keh.  Poke is the word for a dish that features fresh, top-quality fish that has been cut or cubed into bite-size pieces and then marinated but not cooked.  Sort of like sashimi or sushi without the roll.  It can also be lightly seared.  The most popular fish is ahi (ah-hee) and there are many different flavors of sauces. It is usually served with rice.  It is DELICIOUS! 

Apparently we are not the only ones who think this is tasty stuff.  This itty-bitty local spot was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." 

This is an ahi or yellow-fin tuna, which can be fished here in the islands.  It is not hard to get fresh sashimi-grade tuna here. Almost all ahi here are fished on long-lines rather than netted or seined. Hawaii seems very interested in keeping the fishing industry viable.  We are willing to support this by paying slightly higher prices for fish that are local catch and sustainable.