February 10, 2011

Travel To Hawaii - Luau History



In ancient Hawaii, men and women ate meals together. Commoners and women of all levels have also been banned by the ancient Hawaiian religion to eat certain delicacies. Everything changed in 1819 when King Kamehameha II abolished traditional religious practices. Holiday, where the King ate with women was a symbolic act which ended the Hawaiian religious tabus and luau was born.

Favorite dish at these feasts is what gave the luau's name. Young and tender leaves of the taro plant were combined with chicken, baked in coconut milk and called luau.

http://images.wikia.com/wikiality/images/5/58/Luau_imu.jpg


The traditional luau feast was eaten on the floor. Lauhala mats were developed and a beautiful centerpiece with ti leaves, ferns and native flowers about three feet wide was laid the length of the mat. Bowls full of poi, the Hawaiian staple diet made from pounded taro root, and platters of meat were laid and dry foods like sweet potatoes, salt, dried fish or meat covered with leaves laid directly on the clean ti leaves.

To the consternation of the proper Victorian visitors, utensils were never used in a luau, not everything was eaten with your fingers. Poi different texture got its name from the number of fingers needed to eat it ... three fingers, two toes, or the thickest, one finger poi.

Guest at the coronation of King Kalakaua luau in 1883 described the lavish decorations typical of the traditional luau, tables covered with white, but the entire tops were covered with ferns and dense foliage time, as almost to create a tablecloth of themselves; number of flowers placed on the mixing of the ferns ... The natives turned out in great numbers, and the smell of the Leis of flowers and leaves emails almost overwhelming.



These royal luaus tended to large. One of the largest ever hosted Kamehameha III in 1847. The list of foods prepared included 271 pigs, 482 large calabashes of poi, 3,125 salt fish, 1820 fresh fish, coconuts 2245, 4,000 taro plants and numerous other delicacies. King Kalakaua, who was known as the "Merry Monarch" for his love of parties and dance, invited over 1500 guests on its 50th birthday luau. Were fed in shifts 500!

Luaus today are not as large as those hosted by Hawaiian royalty in 1800, but they are a lot of fun and had the same traditional foods ... and utensils are allowed.

40 comments:

  1. This was a good read, but your link isn't working?:/

    ReplyDelete
  2. I want an Hawaiian feast :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now I wanna go to Hawaii and get lei'd. Good read.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Where do you suggest? Hawaii is towards the top of my list for the next vaca.

    ReplyDelete
  5. i plan go there in summer,nice nature,following

    ReplyDelete
  6. now i´m really hungry for some meat

    ReplyDelete
  7. I never went there. Is scuba diving there any fun?

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wish I could go soo bad... I could never afford the trip =(

    ReplyDelete
  9. i always wanted to go to hawaii. hopefully when im out of school :\

    ReplyDelete
  10. definatley on my list of places to go one of these days

    just gotta keep working my hands to the bone and i'll be good to go :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. My fat friend is going there for 5 months

    ReplyDelete
  12. How did you choose the island to go?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Whenever you see a picture of hawaii it always looks happy....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hawaiian royalty o really.. i need a vacation.. really!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Makes me want to go to Hawaii. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would really love to visit, such a lovely place. I'm on a mini-hawaii as is, but its no pacific ocean either

    ReplyDelete
  17. I have always wanted to go to hawaii. Would be the best trip ever.

    ReplyDelete
  18. always wanted to go to Hawaii, any specific island you suggest? good info btw.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hawaii is a beautiful place. Wouldn't mind going there again sometime soon.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Those fancy traditional hula skirts are so cool .
    I saw bunch of them in hawai . I recommend everbody to visit that place at least one time in your life .

    ReplyDelete
  21. I don't know that much about Hawaiian history, so this post was really interesting to me.

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a neat blog you have! very jealous, please tell me some interesting things about your life! Very interested.

    masterswindle.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I need to get to Hawaii soon

    ReplyDelete
  24. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, but have never had the time. Maybe when I finally graduate from grad school, I'll be able to go... then again, probably not.

    ReplyDelete
  25. never been there dont think i could stand the flight

    ReplyDelete
  26. oh man i bet the women like to have fun =D

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've been reading through your blog and I really like it, I'll be following :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. went to hawaii one year with the family for spring break and it was my favorite vacation ever

    ReplyDelete
  29. ive always wanted to try a roast pig straight from the pit

    ReplyDelete
  30. I had no idea Kamehameha was a person i thought it was just from dbz! lol nice read though learned a lot about Hawaiian culture

    ReplyDelete
  31. hawaii seems to be like the perfect place to relax

    ReplyDelete
  32. oh wow i want some chicken cooked like that

    ReplyDelete
  33. hawaii seems nice i wonder how the nugs are over there?

    ReplyDelete
  34. awwww I want some Hawaiian BBBQ. Followed

    http://lifethroughironsigths.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete