How To Make Hawaiian Poke

Move over, sushi: There’s a new seafood sensation that’s sweeping the nation, and it’s called poke. Read on to find out what it is, how to make it, and, most importantly, how to pronounce it like a local.

Ahi Poke Basic | Photo by Melissa Goff

What is Poke?

Let’s just get this part out of the way. Poke is a Hawaiian dish, and it’s pronounced POE-keh (rhymes with no way), not po-kee or poke as in, “Poke me when you’re ready to go.” You’d think it’s a noun, but the word is actually a Hawaiian verb that means “to slice or cut.”

What you’re slicing or cutting when you make poke is usually some kind of fresh, raw seafood, such as ahi tuna or octopus. These bite-size bits are then marinated and chilled in a savory blend of shoyu (soy sauce), sesame oil, and green onions. Other ingredients might be in the mix as well: chili pepper, seaweed, sesame seeds, sweet onions, wasabi, and ginger. Roasted and chopped kukui nuts are sometimes included, but they can be hard to source outside of Hawaii. Still, some cooks substitute macadamia nuts, while purists say no way.

How to Eat Poke

Poke delivers the freshness of top-notch sushi with the convenience of fast food. In Hawaii, you can buy it by the pound in big grocery stores or little corner markets, throw it in your cooler, and take it to the beach. You eat it with chopsticks out of a bowl or cup, often accompanied by sweet white rice. It’s that kind of casual snack food.

Now that the poke craze has hit the mainland, it’s showing up everywhere from food trucks to restaurants from coast to coast.

How to Make Poke

For best results, use only the freshest seafood. If you can, splurge on fresh or frozen sushi-grade ahi tuna at the fish market, and use it the same day you buy it. Here’s how to slice tuna into the bite-size pieces:

Photo by Meredith

1. Cut tuna across the grain into inch-wide slices.
2. Stack a couple of slices and cut into inch-wide strips.
3. Cut across the strips to make inch-wide cubes.

Photo by Meredith

And that’s the hardest part of making this dish. After that, you just toss it with the marinade and stick it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Try these recipes:

Ahi Poke Basic

You can use this as your intro to making poke. Yes, it’s that easy.

Ahi Poke Salad

This version is flavored with onions, ginger, seaweed, and macadamia nuts. Instead of spooning it over rice, you serve it on lettuce. Let’s call this one Paleo Poke, okay?

Photo by Fleetsailor

Ahi and Avocado Poke Tower

Poke stacks up with mango and avocado for a fancy poke party. You can serve it with chips or crackers, or use it to top a salad.

Photo by Diana71

Related

• Get tips for buying the freshest fish.
• Find out how well you know your sushi.
• Dive into our entire collection of seafood recipes.

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