The History of the Hawaiian Luau

[@lasloapollo4312]

Love that the Exeggutor plushy also went with Max on holiday.

[@TastingHistory]

😆

[@tylerboyce4081]

A Max without a Pokemon plushie is like a day without sunshine. ☀️

[@adedow1333]

And of course it's the Alolan version as well

[@lasloapollo4312]

@@adedow1333 it wouldnt surprise me if Max was in his free time a writer for bulbapedia

[@MrLurker906]

Poor fella fell over.

[@mirandac3878]

I appreciate that you centered Native Hawaiians in this! As much as Hawaii relies on tourism, at this point overtourism (and the military - google Red Hill water) is causing a water crisis and incredible harm to the ecosystems. Native Hawaiians have actually had restrictions put on their water use so that the tourists can have the water. Many Native Hawaiians are asking people to stop traveling there, so please travel mindfully and responsibly and help to slow down tourism so the environment has a chance to recover and stay thriving for future generations to appreciate. Thanks Max for passing along important historical context in a respectful way!

[@thebratqueen]

I wish there was some way to help bump this up so more people could see it. Even with Max centering the Native Hawaiians as much as he did, it's still heartbreaking to hear how much colonization and tourism have hurt the locals and their culture just in the small piece of history Max focused on. Hopefully videos like this can help people realize what's going on, and appreciate the real history and people and not the caricatures.

[@beth12svist]

​@@thebratqueen Well, I gave it a like, and am commenting; that will hopefully help bump it up.

[@hollyerin897]

Was looking for this comment. Consideration and nuance is important!

[@ColorwaveCraftsCo]

Wow did not know anything about that! I was not ever planning on visiting, due to my fear of airplanes, but I will definitely spread the word amongst my friends and family.

[@videosofhubris]

Cheers on sharing this, was looking for this comment

[@13x13]

Hi Max! Just a quick comment on the Hawaiian language: it didn't "lose" the T sound due to writing, but among dialects in Hawaiian the T existed in a state of "free variation" with K; the sounds were interchangeable. Ultimately, both sounds comes from the T sound of an earlier language which would eventually become Hawaiian, Marquesan, Māori, and Rapa Nui. Early colonial attempts to write Hawaiian tended to favor the T, but later the K became standard (but the T is now common in, for example, Niihau dialect).

[@Hyperlingualism]

As is even the case with the w/v distinction in the word Hawaii that he mentioned. Much like the common case of languages that have trouble distinguishing the English R and L despite having allophones that are very close to both in their native languages, because often in those languages both are considered one phoneme that either doesn't vary in any predictable way or doesn't vary in any meaningfully way worthy of distinguishing when making standardized written form, like dialect or formality variation. I'm sure the "pronunciation changing due to writing" is a common folk explanation for it though.

[@pol...]

Love to hear this. This is the most logical explanation, thanks! How did Kamehameha I pronounce his own name?

[@c.w.8200]

Reminds me of my own language, German, I think many languages have variations that aren't reflected in writing. Foreign people learning German usually try to pronounce words with the harder consonants that are written and sound angry to us because in most of our dialects and in everyday use we pronounce everything much softer, in the past people even mixed up k and g or t and d in writing.

[@13x13]

@@pol... We don't have any way of knowing for certain. A lot of later texts in Hawaiian have the standardized "University Hawaiian" spelling. With that said, some later work (which I generally agree with) has suggested that there was a preference for T in the northwest islands, i.e. Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, and (at least parts of) Oʻahu; and a K preference in the southeast, i.e. Big Island (where Kamehameha Nui was from), Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe. Kamehameha Nui would have most likely been just "Kamehameha" (although his full name was "Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea". We Hawaiians loved our long names!).

[@13x13]

@@c.w.8200 ha, yeah, I can imagine someone learning German (through writing) and only saying, for example, "zwanzig" as "tsvantsig" and not "tsantsich".

[@Gargoyleswife]

As a Hawaiian who now lives in Connecticut and makes kalua pig in my oven, this was great. I wasn't scared of watching your episode because I know how thoroughly you research everything and how respectful you are. Thank you.

[@BIGBANGvip5673]

Was thinkin the same thing!!

[@wedschilde]

As a Hawaiian now living in San Diego, I was frightened to death to watch this but I had made my promise to myself that I would trust the process. I have a Kalua pig recipe for the instapot if you want it but let's face it we all know that our food is judged on how well we make our mac salad. You telling me that he does a good job says that I should be safe watching this.:)

[@Gargoyleswife]

@@wedschilde Max is super respectful. I promise.

[@wedschilde]

@@Gargoyleswife I shall watch it now. Because you know... there have been times!

[@davidjairala69]

​@@wedschilde"should be safe"? Jesus Christ.

[@adambarron4015]

Family vacation in grade school included a Hawaiian luau. The tour guide gave a warning not to eat more than 2 Haupia. Haupia is a dessert based on coconut milk. Ont the way back the tour guide informed us, "The coconut milk in the Haupia is a natural laxative. If you had more than 2, pinch your cheeks, it's a 30 minute drive back to the hotel." I did get to see the unearthing of the kalua pork. It was so tender that the chickenwire basket it was laid in was given a shake over a tray and instant shredded pork.

[@Lionstar16]

My sympathies to that poor tour guide if he had to deal with someone who DID eat more than 2 Haupia

[@iyziejane]

That may have had to do with the particular version that place served, I grew up eating haupia and never heard anyone describe it as having a laxative effect. The usual version is made with plenty of cornstarch, which I imagine cancels out the laxative.

[@tsz5868]

It could be used as medicine though..

[@DeviantDork]

That's gross I hope you pooped your pants

[@nekogoddess85]

I used to eat so much fresh coconut and drink the juice, it would take more than a couple bites to make you regret lol, fun fact though macadamias have a similar laxative effect (though they're kinda expensive so people prob wouldn't eat that much at once).

[@ericwright8592]

Max, it'd be super cool if you could do some Native American dishes and history. We're never really taught anything in depth about their history prior to European and American destruction of their culture. So many cultures to choose from, you could do a small series

[@afterburn2600]

Totally agree. My vote would be something about the Calusa of Southwest Florida. They had trade routes that spanned hundreds of miles and were apparently likely to have been the most sophisticated and advanced hunter/fisher/gather culture of the ancient world. They had a population of at least 10,000-20,000 and primarily relied on seafood instead of land agriculture to feed the rather large population. Plus, a lot of the seafoods they would have had access to are delicious - I've fished those waters and and yum indeed.

[@TheTroposa]

Would probably need a Native American to assist to avoid any "cultural appropriation" claims. Just saying.

[@miinyoo]

I would exchange wampum to see this.

[@youraftermyrobotbee]

Max has done pemmican in the past I believe, but yes, I would love to see more Native American dishes on this channel!

[@youraftermyrobotbee]

​@@TheTroposaWhy are you saying that like it's le epic dunk? Like yes, I would fully trust Max to rely on indigenous primary sources, which would probably be word-of-mouth from Native American elders since so much of Native American history is oral- in the same way he does all his dishes on this channel?

[@harveyh3696]

I'm sure many of us who live in Hawaii appreciate you taking the time to correctly pronounce Hawaiian words.

[@elbruces]

Max's record of perfectly pronouncing every language on the planet continues.

[@fayolympia5855]

Yes, indeed! I appreciate your efforts to pronounce Hawaiian words correctly. I didn’t wince once. 😊

[@rjmatthews62]

Except: imu and emu aren't homonyms. Emu = eem-you, not eem-oo.

[@communistvulture6516]

@@rjmatthews62 In my dialect of English (NY Metropolitan) emu doesn’t have a ‘y’ sound. Could be the same wherever Max is from.

[@alchemysaga3745]

​@@rjmatthews62 Can verify as someone from the Southern USA- no "you" sound to emu here. It's more "ee-moo."

[@crowolf3862]

If you’re looking for more dishes that have ties to hawaiian history, Dole pineapples are a really interesting microcosm on colonialism. Dole (the guy) helps overthrow the kingdom so that his plantation can ship more stuff to the US, and their advertisements about pineapple on pork to make “home luaus” inspires a canadian guy to make hawaiian pizza. There’s other dishes and a ton more history from the plantation cannery, but those are two of the highlights to me.

[@netkissa]

This sounds like an episode I'd like to watch.

[@kylelee1911]

so dole is the one who caused the abomination on pizza got it

[@Droid6689]

Time to eat more Hawaiian pizzas

[@aquaabouttogetfunky]

The Hawaiian Plantation Coup to Pineapple on Pizza Pipeline is not something I learn but… Y’know.

[@Yearofthetiger25]

Just another reason for me to be mad at pineapple on Pizza, jokes aside though I heard about the Dole situation a while back and was so mad on the behalf of the Native Hawaiians at the time. He literally helped get rid of their kingdom and helped make them a territory and later a state, just so he could expand his personal trade. I know that's basically colonialism in a nutshell but I still don't like it.

[@crowolf3862]

A note on Taro leaf - there are little “spines” on it, so it WILL lead to indigestion if eaten raw. When cooking with taro leaves, always make sure to steam or otherwise cook it before consuming.

[@laniinla2354]

As a Native Hawaiian myself, this video was wonderful! Well researched and well spoken. Mahalo nui loa.

[@maya-gur695]

The history of Hawaii is fascinating, so of course the culinary history is fascinating as well.

[@telebubba5527]

But also a very, very sad story of colonization.

[@joshuapatrick682]

bro gets a youtube channel up during COVID and now he's a New York Times best selling author, millionaire and vacationing in Hawaii...inspirational bro!

[@Kruppt808]

and he worked at Disney before this. Bro been doing good :)

[@HowieHoward-ti3dx]

How do you know he's a millionaire?

[@AnjiEnnui]

@@HowieHoward-ti3dx Well he did write a New York Times best selling book...he must have gotten at least some profits from it, right?

[@DogmaBeoulve]

I lived on a military base on Oahu, Hawaii back when I was a kid and it was pretty magical. I attended grades 1 & 2 there and I remember, every year, they would roast a whole pig in the courtyard and you could smell it cooking ALL DAY AND IT WAS SO FANTASTIC X.x

[@Raycheetah]

Not so traditional, but I also remember being a Waikiki school kid and selling "huli-huli" chicken tickets all year as a fundraiser, and then the big day came and the schoolyard was filled with giant rotisseries cooking hundreds of chickens over coals. The smell was amazing, but the taste was even better! =*[.]*=

[@ericwilliams1659]

​@@RandomDudeOne that was over 82 years ago.

[@baylorsailor]

​@@RandomDudeOne this must be a joke 😂

[@jacobp.2024]

Dogmatic, I did the same thing. I attended a Luau when my dad was stationed on Oahu and let me say, it was NOT worth it for the food. The atmosphere is cool, the entertainment I'm sure is amazing, but as someone who got excited for the quality and amount of food I was VERY disappointed. They did do the whole roasted pig, but that pig could not carry the whole dinner on its back. They had some nasty taro rolls and some awful grits thing, and nothing else. Drinks were all paid, no refills. I was expecting a lot more! I had better luck at mom and pop shops, give those your attention.

[@mathoskualawa9000]

@@RandomDudeOne A whole ship was sunk and a lot of people died. The US entered one of the biggest wars ever fought in the Pacific. Said ship continues to leak oil into the bay to this day. Very funny.

[@aidanbowie5391]

I loved how accurate and respectful this video was as a local. I even live in Kailua where the Kapu was broken, so I felt the hometown pride when you mentioned us. I would really love if you made a video about local Hawaiian food (as opposed to traditional). In the 1800s people immigrated from Portugal, China, Japan, and the Philippines and created this amazing fusion cuisine with what ingredients were available here. Check out malasadas, loco moco, spam musubi, poke, and the plate lunch

[@mathoskualawa9000]

Don't forget meat jun! Btw, poke (ahi poke) *is* traditional Hawaiian food. Kānaka maoli ate raw fish long before Kepani arrived. If we're talking fusion, manapua and chicken long rice (and meat jun) should be looked at, as well as a few of the other foods you mentioned.

[@300biggirl]

You live in Kailua-Kona, right? Max is wrong when he says the 1819 lu'au took place in Kailua, Oahu.

[@ChudActual]

When I got stationed at Schofield finding out about the loco moco changed my life.

[@joshjones718]

i think you forgot about even more western influences as well(other than portugal). hawaiians dont eat spam due to the chinese. western european culture has had the greatest impact; followed by asian.

[@mathoskualawa9000]

@@300biggirl Oh shucks! You're right! He confused Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi island with Kailua, Oʻahu! I missed that!

[@lielananna]

We lived on Oahu for a few years when my husband was stationed there. After we left, I missed being able to grab pints of premade Kalua pork from the grocery store so learned to make my own in a crockpot. It was similar to Chef Ippy’s simmered version but mine just covers the pork butt in a good amount of salt, adds some liquid smoke and then you cook it on low in the crockpot for 16 hours. It is sooo very good and gives us a taste of the islands every time we make it!

[@jackieknits61]

I do it this way too. But banana leaves are hard to find in the American Midwest, so I use collard greens instead. Not an exact match, but that green flavor makes all the difference.

[@bdavis7801]

@@jackieknits61 I do that too or use a mix of chard and collards. So good! 😋

[@ronnielee33]

I was raised in Hawai'i. I use the crockpot method, wrapping the pork in banana leaf first. You can find it fresh, sometimes frozen, at many Asian stores, sometimes Hispanic stores, too.

[@kittyniciaian9761]

Another vote for crockpot kahlua pork.

[@melindayoung5133]

I'm glad someone mentioned the slow cooker version. I'm pretty sure most residents (especially on O'ahu) use a slow cooker to make kalua pig. If any non-kama'aina Tastorians search online for slow cooker kalua pig recipes, avoid anything that has more than pork, liquid smoke, salt, and maybe some greens. If the ingredients include pineapple, run for your life!

[@Catherinenot]

Really appreciate that you have a Hawaiin cook explain the options for doing it at home- it feels more authentic to have an indigenous person explain how they would modify a recipe rather than trusting that the visitor understands the why and how.

[@SingingSealRiana]

Yeah, the most traditional way aleays has variation based on what is avaolable, but what makes likely variations is something you can tell, if you actually know the dish. Like as a baker you can switch almost all all ingredients without ill effect, but if someone less knowledgeable tries that, they will end up with a compleatly different dish at best, and a total mess at worst

[@bando7567]

Max, sometime you have to try a hangi, which is basically a Maori version of a luau. I've only been to one hangi (I'm from Australia, not New Zealand), but the biggest difference I noticed was the variety of foods cooked in the firepit. Whole potatoes and pumpkins, greens wrapped in banana leaves, all kinds of foods were there, and all of the flavours kind of infuse together,

[@1NCUB1]

Came here to comment this. I've had hangi in NZ a couple times and it seems really similar to this. The slow underground cooking imparts such a rich smoky flavour to everything, it's really good. Maori cooking would definitely be a cool topic for a future episode!

[@stickychocolate8155]

That sounds amazing. Never heard of it and would love to see Max cover it on this channel.

[@bobdoenz]

Take a look at Andy Cooks. He's a Kiwi based on Oz, but he made a recent video on traditional Hangi in NZ

[@ek-nz]

Maybe discuss a koha with the local tangata whenua though eh? Can’t just bung a hangi video on youtube, put your ad in and away you go. Hangi belongs to mana whenua. Pretty sure Max would already be thinking this way of course.

[@bobdoenz]

@@ek-nz Mangere Mountain near Auckland Airport. You can book usage of the public Hangi pits and the staff will teach the ins and outs of preparation and guide you through it all

[@alexandragrace8164]

My grandma is Native Hawaiian and I can’t wait to share this episode with her. Thank you so much Max for another brilliant episode! ❤

[@neonachas]

Here in New Zealand there was, and still is too a degree, the sense of tapu/noa (sacred/profane). Te Rauparaha would never have survived if his enemies didn't believe that someone as tapu as he was would hide in a pit in the ground under the genitals of a woman (noa). The Haka by the All Blacks, Ka Mate, tells that story. Here, at a hangi, food is cooked in an umu. However, while in most of the country this is a pit in the ground similar to the Hawaiian imu, in Rotorua and other geothermal areas, Māori made use of that power to cook their food - and still do in Whakarewarewa. Hotels in the Rotorua region also use this traditional method of cooking a few times a week for tourists, and similar to the lu'au, used to have a stereotypical "Maori concert party" entertain guests. However since the 1980s they've moved away from that to a kapa haka group performance, that also includes Māori history from the Great Migration and settlement of Aotearoa, to traditional tales, but also more recent history around colonisation and how that affected Māori, particularly with land confiscation. You should visit. You'd enjoy the history (and being able to relax and sit back in a pool at the Polynesian Spa).

[@ThinWhiteAxe]

Ahhh, the Polynesian Spa! Cmon, New Zealand... try something new!

[@scaredyfish]

It’s always interesting to me how similar many of the traditions are across the vast area of Polynesia

[@UK_Canuck]

I'm so glad that a reversion to more traditional culture is taking place, particularly including of the history of colonisation. It wasn't until I was in my forties that I learned that similar brutalities and injustices that I'd heard of taking place in the USA and Australia were perpetrated - but left out of the history lessons - in my native Canada. And pretty much every other colonised land on the earth.

[@miketacos9034]

This is so cool! Māori culture and its connections to other Polynesian culture is so fascinating. A Tasting History episode there would be awesome!

[@telebubba5527]

@@scaredyfish They are all the same people and keep on having strong ties with each other. All the borderlines are an European invention and sometimes imported languages have drifted them apart.

[@urfaes6878]

As a resident of Hawaii, this video is very informative for others and absolutely great. I hope you have had the chance to experience lau lau (butterfish and pork wrapped in lu'au). If not, you have to come back. Kapu is still present in the modern day in the guise of caution or warning. Where you see, "No trespassing," in the mainland, you'll just see signs that say, "Kapu."

[@ndb_1982]

As someone who is afraid of flying so I will probably never have the pleasure of visiting Hawaii, thank you for your take on Max's video. ❤️ It adds to the greatness of his information.

[@Kruppt808]

@@ndb_1982 you could take a cruise here I think. a cousin of mind 10 years ago who also didn't life to fly did. idk if they still do that.

[@ikaika0083]

Hey Max! As a longtime fan I’m so excited to see something I grew up with on the channel! Your pronunciation of Hawaiian isn’t bad for someone unfamiliar with it but one small note; “puaʻa” has that glottal stop in it between the a’s so there’s another syllable in there. I hope you enjoyed your stay! 🤙🏽

[@TheOrangeCat2]

I mean, most islanders slur the glottal stops together. That's closer to how you'll hear it.

[@paula889]

​@@TheOrangeCat2 Maybe they used to, but most people today don't. The awareness of the correct pronunciation has grown a lot.

[@severalowls]

@@WarhavenSC Ireland (or any other culture for that matter) didn't nearly lose their language to "laziness", they're almost always the victim of concentrated campaigns to discourage or outright outlaw the speaking of a native tongue in favour of a "core" national language, which in many contexts is the language of a colonial and/or invading force. Laughing and writing it off as the native speakers being "too lazy to bother keeping it alive" is entirely the cruel spin of the people who banned the languages in the first place. Anything that has survived centuries of those policies, whether it be as "close to home" as Irish Gaelic or Basque, or any number of indiginous American, Pacific Islander or African local languages is entirely to the credit of the speakers of those languages who have been anything BUT lazy in passing them on.

[@WarhavenSC]

​@@severalowls My apologies. What I meant is don't let _today's_ laziness regress the language back into near-extinction. I didn't mean to say apathy lead to its initial lack of use, when yes, it was clearly colonialism, fascism, and such that was the culprit. My family in Ukraine was forbidden from speaking Ukrainian, for example, when it was part of the former Soviet Union.

[@DeviantDork]

Snore

[@dalemoss4579]

I grew up in Hawai’i. I’m so gratified that you took the time to learn proper pronunciation of Hawai’ian words. Mahalo.

[@TPark-rf3lt]

I'm really glad that Max learns the actual history vs the touristy stuff that people come to know. Aloha Max! 🤙🏻

[@Kata-jb3iu]

Thank you for including the "accessible version" of this dish for those of us without the option of a yard to BBQ an entire pig or a smoker!! After a co-worker from Hawaii introduced me to Kalua Pork years ago - it's been one of my favorite recipes. I do a crockpot version and I was really happy to see how similar Ippy's pot simmered version is, so I felt moderately authentic. 😁

[@jonlava173]

1:13 Chuckled a little at the picture of an eponymous local plate lunch featuring tonkatsu, kal-bi, white rice and macaroni salad. Also Max looks great in his ocean blue Aloha shirt. 🤙

[@auryn684]

Samoan represent! The man making the ‘umu has a pe’a tattoo 😍 love it!! Fa’afetai tele for representing the Pacific Islanders on your channel, Max! ❤️

[@qjames0077]

My man Max out here mixing business and pleasure 😎 Good on you brother

[@monkeygraborange]

Not to mention that the trip was a complete tax write off.

[@qjames0077]

@@monkeygraborange max is living the dream, and he's earned it

[@commandante6709]

Ti is a great plant. Grows in almost any condition in a tropical climate and animals LOVE it. On top of the use you described, it serves as a privacy barrier, animal fodder, and erosion prevention.

[@Chocobo0Scribe]

I went to a luau on Kauai. I ended up being the impromptu photographer when the unearthing of the kahlua pig started. Side effect of being the shortest in a crowd, you’re allowed to the front of events no questions asked, but in return you’re asked to take pictures. I had several cameras hanging off my arms taking multiple photos of the pig😂

[@slwrabbits]

I would have dropped at least half the cameras. Not intentionally, mind, but at least half.

[@Chocobo0Scribe]

I had so many the Emcee actually called me out as the photographer and waited until I was done.😂

[@slwrabbits]

Nice

[@gilbertstones1499]

Max, Kudos on your Hawaiian pronunciation. I lived in Kaneohe, Oahu (next town up from Kailua) for 9 years and got lots of Kalua food, (We had kalua turkey every thanksgiving). I've been doing kalua pork ever since moving back and do kind of a hybrid of Ippy's 2 methods. I salt the pork, add liquid smoke and wrap in banana leaves. (I use kiawe liquid smoke when I can find it). I put it in a pan with about an inch of water and bake at 200 for 12 to 24 hours. It comes out pretty close to imu flavor.

[@rainwolfj]

I continue to love all of your abroad episodes. Even if you're just there and narrating someone else's cooking you do a fantastic job of explaining the process, flavor, history, and overall experience of the situations. Make more travel episodes, they've all been a genuine treat so far.

[@MrWizeazz]

Man, I miss Hawaii so much. You can always tell that you care so much for not only the food that you bring to us, but for the culture as well, so thank you for that.

[@Chameleonradio]

Max, if you were on the Big Island, I hope you checked out Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. It was actually a "place of refuge" where people who broke Kapu could escape the most extreme punishments if they managed to enter the grounds. While I really need to read up more on Hawai'ian history, I have a hypothesis that exceptions like this are needed in such a strict society, or they'll just collapse under the weight of all those rules. (Oh, and it has pretty great snorkling too...or had, before the coral bleaching started. 😔)

[@TotallynotlliJ]

I love how grateful you are. No talk about how much fun or whatever or vacation. Just you telling history, like usual. You took a moment to highlight a culture teach us all something. Thank you! ♥️

[@carlychapin9383]

One of my biggest dreams was for you to cover a video on Hawaii!! I honestly cried seeing this- thank you so much and I really hope you can do more foods and history on not only Hawaii but any of the Pacific Islands in general too!

[@kalenc515]

My family are Filipinos that grew up in Hawaii and California in the 1930s but we still hold our traditions strong. I never really knew the history of kalua pork up until now!!

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

Versions of this dish can be found in Easter Island (Rapa Nui), "umu," and Chiloé, "curanto." Both islands belong to Chile, but they are very distant from each other and their native cultures are quite different.

[@RafaelLeonardoJunchaya]

This kind of cooking is common in all the Polynesia, also in other parts of the Pacific coasts of South America. That's one of the reason why contact between Andean and Polynesian people is hypothesized.

[@astrid703]

@@RafaelLeonardoJunchaya It's been genetically proven. A one time infusion of South American DNA about 800 yrs ago.

[@mathoskualawa9000]

I've been learning Rapa Nui. The Hawaiian "umu" is the above ground version of the imu, we even use the same word.

[@nicholasmangialardi1618]

I'm 50 now, and lived my first 25 years on Maui, then a few years in Hilo on the Big Island. I went to school in Hawai'i and some of the tidbits of history in this video are new to me! Such a great job researching the history, and pronunciations are spot on as always.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Nice to see Max in his Rick Steves/OG TLC Travel Show Host Era. Such fun! Also, lots to learn, too little time. Also, Happy AAPI Month!

[@tylerboyce4081]

Honestly, I would pay actual dollars for Max to travel to all these awesome places and cook the historical recipes from there.

[@qjames0077]

@@tylerboyce4081 it's called Patreon bro lol

[@joshuadougherty8077]

Rick Steve is the OG pleasant worldly white gent

[@LALacey]

Max and a travel show is meant to be

[@Just_Sara]

You MUST be from the PNW to know about Rick Steves (USA, Pacific Northwest to everyone who isn't from the PNW).

[@GeorgieB1965]

Got deja vu here. Recently finished listening to a podcast series about Hawai'i, from independent kingdom to annexed territory to state a couple of weeks ago, and now a brief history of the luau. Leaning something new every day.

[@tylerboyce4081]

I remember the first time I saw an imu used for cooking, and my mind was blown. I was fascinated by cooking underground, which I later learned was very similar to my family's method for barbacoa.

[@insederec]

Cultures all over the world have something similar. Barbacoa in South Texas, pernil in Puerto Rico, goat in the middle east, the list goes on

[@Mej111]

Its similar to hāngī pits in NZ!

[@sarahkeller-vp6hq]

Looks a lot like a New England clam bake., too. Fire in the ground is pretty smart--if you can keep it going for a little while in the morning, it can cook all day, even if you get foul weather. Hawaii, South Texas, Puerto Rico, New England; they all get some really crappy weather, so necessity is the mother of invention. Then you find out how good it tastes, you do it when the weather's good, too!

[@susanscott8653]

​@@Mej111 even the name is similar - imu/umu. 🤔

[@himesilva]

We have a variation of meat cooked in the ground (ours is via volcanic heat) in the Azores as well; apparently, a lot of Portuguese from the Azores actually immigrated to Hawai'i because it felt the most familiar to them. There's also a Portuguese instrument whose name escapes me right now that is the ancestor to the Ukulele.

[@Piccylo]

A feast whose foundation is really defiance to gods and strict tradition is pretty beautiful. Including cultural traditions and education makes it even better.

[@DrIgnacious]

Beautiful episode Max. Now I want pork sliders. I love how charismatic your guest chef, Ippy, is and how easily the locals seem to share their culture with you.

[@caisis2]

That was awesome! Being the former Disney cast member you are it's possible you already know this, but IF you find yourself with the opportunity to attend the Luau at Aulani on Oahu, theirs is ALL about the HI people, culture, and mythology of the God Maui! It's storytelling at it's best, and a genuine effort to make the "show" more than JUST spectacle, but also informational/educational! We had tickets to attend during our stay in Jan. '23; unfortunately, it was the ONE day of continual rain and the ONE event thus rained out during our 6 night stay! We didn't get to have the full Luau experience, but we were able to catch part of the performances from our balcony deck, so hearing bits and pieces of that story was amazing! Hope you get to have the "full" experience someday! 🙂

[@carrieannmcleod5219]

I remember Chef Ippy. He was on Food Network Star. He was the youngest chef on that season (or at least one of the youngest) and although he didn't win, he did a great job.

[@EVOLUTIONINCARNATE]

never thought id see you make a hawai'ian dish as someone who is part native hawai'ian but not living on the island its always nice to be able to connect to it via learning more about it

[@corey57255]

When I was a young someone in my family had a party every summer where they cooked an entire pig in a big hole in the ground that was a remarkably similar method to this. I can still remember that pork as being possibly the most delicious thing I have ever or will ever taste. No pulled-pork recipe can ever produce the effect of roasting an entire pig in the ground like this. I really can't express how profoundly delicious that was. Definitely never pass this up if you have a chance.

[@Rei.Eatsfoods]

As a Hawai'i local this makes me so happy! Great job Max & I even learned a few things. Mahalo

[@SaraHA2371]

Can I just say how happy I am you decided to stay with this instead of going back to Disney.

[@killerkram1337]

Cool to see a video about my heritage here. Kalua pig is one of the best foods in the world next to spam musubi. My mother brought Hawaiian food, slang, and culture with her to the midvwest where we live now. As much as I think I have become normal here over the decades my wife says I still eat VERY Hawaiian and laughs whenever I let a "dakine" slip. Name of that its bad though, the food is amazing and we all still eat pork, fish, chicken, and stupid amounts of rice all the time and my decorations make our house feel a little exotic

[@brick6347]

Excellent timing, my daughter just made us watch Lilo and Stitch for the 1000x time!

[@tracybartels7535]

I love the knowledge and fun of the commentators here. It's one site where reading the comments is usually a joy, and that has to be down to the channel itself. Thanks, everyone, for making it fun, finding the Pokemon, and sharing what you know about the various cultures and foods!

[@crowolf3862]

14:28 so along with the sailors, the missionaries were arriving too, and Kaahumanu was one of their biggest converts. She founds punahou school by giving the protestant missionaries a land grant, and spends much of her life urging the hawaiian people to convert pretty aggressively by closing and tearing down the old shrines and temples. Kalakaua, who you also talk about, is partly called the merry monarch because of his lifting of the bans against hula, canoe, and surfing kaahumanu put in place.

[@hori166]

Small detail: the pronunciation of "pua'a" is "poo ah-ah". The apostrophe is actually a consonant in Hawaiian called an 'okina or glottal stop, which breaks up two consecutive vowel sounds. In reality, locals never use "pua'a" probably because of the many ethnic groups, e.g. Chinese, Filipino, etc. and English is the lingua franca. My Hawaiian grandmother always just said "kalua pig". There is a THIRD easier alternative to the smoked chips and that is to just use liquid smoke like Wright's. Poke holes into the pork butt and massage the smoke into it followed by salt. Banana or ti leaves add another note of flavor, but as indicated you'll have to find an Asian grocery to get these. In Hawai'i many homes have ti growing on the side of the house. You can skip this by just using aluminum foil, or both: banana leaves, then foil. 2-3 hours at 150ºC should do it, but add a little water to the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. A family luau for either a baby's first birthday, wedding, graduation, etc. is the real thing, with dishes not served at tourist venues like 'opihi (limpets) or na'au, pig chitterlings stewed with taro leaves. Live music and relatives get up and dance. Never thought I'd see a Hawaiian dish on Tasting History. Mahalo!

[@loganlogon3720]

Thanks for being part of the family Ippy! Your presentation was excellent, I would totally watch if you made videos!😄

[@midoriya-shonen]

Wow, thanks for the fascinating history lesson! I've never seen Hawai'i's history presented in this way before -- not that I've seen it presented much at all. I'm so grateful for your down-to-earth style and genuine interest in this undertaught topic. Thank you!

[@Anonemus7]

It makes me so happy to Hawai'i represented by one of my favorite KZbinrs! Thank you for doing such a great job respecting the food and culture 🤙

[@ramonarjona4928]

Mahalo nui loa. This is a great episode and I'm glad you had opportunity to get to the Big Island. If you're ever interested in doing more Hawai'i food history you might also look at pipikaula, which is something like beef jerky, and fried saimin which is sort of a union between pancit, ramen and wonton noodles.

[@CatsT.M]

I Really respect that you make sure to get the pronunciations correct in every video, language is deeply entwined with history and culture and the respect you give to it is wonderful.

[@fatalfury66]

Your pronunciation is great! Im from the islands origionally, and its nice to see you loving my home! Aloha!

[@carolyncoulter8965]

I went to a few parties in college (southern midwest) that featured a buried pig. This is still done in parts of the south, I know-probably borrowed from Caribbean cultures, as BBQ was.

[@Caseyuptobat]

aye, barbacoa

[@mattkuhn6634]

I love how Ippy’s using the Texas crutch for kalua pork - a good technique is a good technique! Also, the changes to the written alphabet that eliminated letters like T and B wasn’t getting rid of sounds - that is to say, it didn’t change the way the Hawaiian people spoke. Rather, several of the letters in the original written alphabet were what linguists call allophones, or essentially variants of a single underlying phoneme that only occur in certain contexts. You can see this in English easily in the difference in how s is pronounced at the end of the words “cats” and “has” - the first is what we would call [s], whereas the second is [z]. It was the same with Hawaiian, where, for instance, [k] and [t] would occur in exclusive contexts. For all of the many crimes that the westerners committed against the native Hawaiians, the letters were removed to more accurately represent the Hawaiian language, not to change it.

[@KTCC13]

To add, Hawaiian dialects varied from place to place, for instance the T sound is still used on the island of Ni’ihau and the “S” sound replaces the “K” in the southern part of Hawai’i island(commonly known as the Big Island) but the “K” sound is the more commonly spoken sound now when teaching Olelo Hawai’i(Hawaiian language). Over 90% of our knowledge was lost or should I say taken, but we make due with what we have thanks to some of the families that kept the language and traditions a secret during the times when doing so would result in being arrested because it was illegal to even speak Hawaiian.

[@TairoruXRyuu]

I'm going back to the Big Island in August, and this made me so excited!! I hope you're having lots of fun, Max! I love learning about Hawaii's history, I feel it's very underappreciated in general. Have you looked into how modern Hawaiian cuisine developed? It's a mix of many different cultures, some of which arrived in Hawaii with immigrants looking for work. Also, please try the malasadas near Hapuna Beach! They're the best after a long day in the sun and sand.

[@TairoruXRyuu]

And I will definitely be visiting Ippy's once I get to the Big Island!

[@urfaes6878]

All very good points, and to add : Spam. If there were anything modern most introduced into local cuisine, it is Spam. So much so, it's sold everywhere. While it's easy to say it was left over from WW2, like a Korean budae jjigae, spam is prevalent in Hawaii, too.

[@cheef825]

​@@urfaes6878 Korea, the Philippines, and Hawaii are the "spam triangle" of the Asia- Pacific 😂

[@shannondore]

Ippy was adorable. If I ever get to Hawaii I'm checking out his restaurant. And I've always wanted to go to a luau. I have made the kalua pig in my crock pot and it's really good but I bet that whole roasted pig is just out of this world.

[@Elsisalittleconcerned]

Always loved how respectful you are towards languages, their pronunciation and history itself.

[@josephbenson6301]

Hi Max! Thank you for another fascinating history and tasty looking dish. For the turn of the millennium, friends decided to roast a pg in their backyard and rented a small excavator to dig the hole, but a short rental period and long learning curve only allowed about half of it to get dug. Being extremely familiar with digging a nice hole, I finally shed it. Rocks, coals wood and then a pig. Covered and buried for about 20 hours. It was amazing. (And the pig head on a post on the front yard of the nice neighborhood really set the tone for an off the rails party.)

[@HootOwl513]

Mahalo nui loa. Interesting to note the dropping of the T consonant from Hawaiian. Polynesian languages have similarities. In Tahitian, they dropped the K. So an Hawaiian would say his ancestors came from , while an alii Tahitian could say his great-great grandfather's GGF's 2nd cousin Tamehamea went to Havaii.

[@RazorO2Productions]

I love you for this, Max! I went to Hawaii twice as a kid and I left my heart forevermore in Maui. Can't wait to try this!

[@karenkieffer3684]

Excellent program! I have been to the Luaus in Hawaii, but learned so much from this. We make our Kalua Pua at home using Bamboo leaves from the oriental grocer. Soak the leaves, rub the pork with kosher salt, pour liquid smoke over it, and wrap the pork in leaves and foil. Put in a slow cooker with a little water, and cook on low all day. Smells awesome and tastes even better! We traditionally do this for Mother's Day Luau. 🍹

[@ajmihalek1362]

I would like to add that I just recently got my signed copy of your book. I love it! Thank you so much for keeping the history in the recipes. I am looking forward to working my way through the book.

[@geoffrian]

Spent a decade in the US Army. Was stationed in Fort Shafter from Dec 2010 to Feb 2014. Been to countless luau's. Everytime a family member came for a Hawaiian visit my wife and I tried to give them an experience. Can be expensive for good food and a good show, but for most people it's once in a lifetime.

[@jackmainwood8119]

Loving the vids as always! Just pre ordered my mum your new book (I live in the uk) can’t wait to see it and start cooking with her again! Your such an inspiration man! 😁💙

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy the book!

[@jackmainwood8119]

@@TastingHistory you just made my day man! And I’m sure we will 😁

[@robtremayne228]

Love this! The communal feasting aspect got me thinking of potlatches along the pacific northwest coast of turtle island/north america which i think could also be a really fascinating topic & look into a food we dont often think of the really interesting and complicated historical dimension of foods like salmon which like the pork in this video are pretty common but have really interesting & significant connections to cultures that people would love to learn about!

[@mmlb3018]

The part about Luau and dishes really interested me. There's a local delicacy in the Philippine called "Laing" made with taro or dried "gabi" leaves and coconut milk. Always interesting to see similarities in dishes.

[@gmt5664]

Major props for your effort to pronounce the words properly (not perfect but A for effort). Hawai'i is my home and I learned something today. I really appreciate your respect for the culture. I hate commercial lu'au, as they're a cheap version of a deep culture. But I'm glad you came and hope you enjoyed your stay. I am now going to check out Ippy's next time I'm on the Big Island. And I just realized I haven't made squid luau in forever. thanx for the reminder.

[@sharimeline3077]

I'm lucky enough to have Hawaiian relatives. You should do a video on laulau some day, that's my favorite!

[@jackieknits61]

Laulau is fantastic. We visit family in Hawaii too. I got I kick out of being told the best place to get laulau takeout was costco! And it was great. Now, costco is always our first and last stop in Hawaii.

[@sharimeline3077]

@@jackieknits61 We always got it from people selling it on the side of the road lol! Or we just made it ourselves. I haven't been to Hawaii in a long time because my closest relatives (sister, her kids) have moved here to the mainland, and so have some of the more distant cousins and people related by marriage. It's so expensive to live there now, a lot of Hawaiians have moved here and can't go back. But I still know some people and will return some day and try Costco laulau! There's a comedy act called Poi Dog with Crabs that does a hilarious fake ad for "Home of the 12 inch Laulau." I can't find it here on youtube, but if you ever see it you should listen, it's so funny. But you can find other comedy bits they do on here, if you look :)

[@sharimeline3077]

@@jackieknits61 Wait, I found it, I forgot the "12 inch Laulau" ad was part of a longer comedy bit called "The Young Kanakas." Look that up, and also "Local Argument #7" by Poi Dog with Crabs 😂

[@jackieknits61]

@@sharimeline3077 that's sounds great! I will go find them.

[@ronnielee33]

Mmmm...laulau...

[@StyleshStorm]

Fascinating. Born and raised Hawaii, Hilo side big island and eventually Oahu. Never knew this.

[@MJBhunter]

I went to Hawaii for my friends wedding. I was lucky enough to have a friend who was native Hawaiian. Her cousin who lived on Oahu taught Polynesian culture and she and I got to talk for hours about Hawaiian culture. It was so fascinating and I can't wait to go back.

[@thenarcotikz]

Max! So thrilled you enjoyed your time here in paradise, my home! Always enjoy your content and today was a pleasant surprise! 🤙🏻

[@minaxue]

I had to share this with my husband and his family, who lived in Hawaii for many years and your video will bring them back home. Thank you for going so in-depth in language and history!!

[@keeperofthegood]

Fun times Max!! My "travel" bucket list has Luau on it, probably will pass away long before I travel though but through the use of KZbin and modern conveniences I have attempted to touch upon it from a distance. Poi is a little more involved than simple mashing, it's mashed and then lacto fermented which puts it between Fufu/Haleem/Mashed Potato, and Idli/Dosa/Injera. Now, when I was first looking into the islands and cooking history, and learning much respect for the food the people and the history from Jerry Konanui (Uncle Jerry has my forever respect), it was my understanding that the Imu historically came out of volcanic hot vent cooking. I also was under the impression there are Hawaiian folk who still use hot springs to cook in today; more similar to Japanese and Korean hot spring cooking than Icelandic.

[@ravenbell3918]

I would highly recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. It was so educational and informative about all the South Pacific Islands. We attended the luau there and it was delicious!

[@windyloweryking1826]

It's so beautiful and so much knowledge to be gained at the Cultural Center!

[@SashaAnime132]

The Polynesian Cultural Center is a Mormon-run missionary theme park akin to a human zoo. Definitely not a good place to patron.

[@windyloweryking1826]

@@SashaAnime132 when I went there I didn't have Mormonism shoved down my throat I simply learned from native Hawaiians about their culture in a beautiful location.

[@boycub]

​​@@windyloweryking1826 though you didn't have their religion shoved down your throat, it is unfortunately run by the LDS church and profits them. The natives who work there are employees who are doing their job. It's still a great attraction and there is a lot of fun to be had from it, but a lot of it is theatrics akin to a theme park attraction and your money spent there does indeed support the church of ladder day saints rather than the natives :(

[@BlueAnteater]

Yes, go to the Bishop Museum instead!

[@Yumethewitch]

I love how the pokémon is in every place where max goes i love it. Seeing the pokémon matching his videos honestly is my favorite part it’s very effective! ✨

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

I LOVE hawaiian culture Max! Specially it's cousine and previous Kingdom! Aloha to You and hope You had an incredible time!😊😊😊

[@WorldsGreatestRingAnnouncer]

From one historian to another, what you are doing is a tremendous service to history and humanity.

[@guardianofcreativity4860]

I’m only two minutes in and have already learned at least five new things. This is gonna be good.

[@MrMegaManFan]

I learned more about what a luau is from this video than I ever did in school. Thank you again to Max for making history so much fun (and so good to eat).

[@lrstudio3221]

Wonderful video! Thank you! My wife and I were fortunate enough to visit Oahu for our 10th anniversary in 2003 and loved the Luau we attended. Next year we are taking our teenage son to Hawaii for his highschool graduation present. Can't wait for more Luau'd pig! And P.S. Just so you (and your sponsors!) know.... Your channel is probably the ONLY channel that I always watch the sponsor segment in it's entirety (instead of skipping it.) Partly out of respect for your channel and partly because you do such a darn good job at presenting it!

[@KJayPlays]

So great to see the history of something I’ll wager most people don’t give much thought. I always feel so informed and comforted when watching your videos. Like.. covered in a warm and smart blanket 🤍

[@cheehee808_]

Nice, glad to see an episode on my state. We got some delicious food here tbh, also the history of the kingdom of hawaii is pretty interesting too. I remember doing a history project on the kamehameha family back in 6th grade

[@Debbie3360]

When my aunt moved to a rural house. She couldn’t wait to have a pig roast & it was similar to this process. The guys came, dug a pit & put in the wood 2 days before & the following day they came with the pig put it in the pit, covered it & we waited. It was delish.

[@nolanpeale6472]

Lordy. This is eerie. I was in Hawaii on vacation last week and I was thinking of Tasting History, and thinking "I should drop a note to Max and ask if he could ever do a video on the food of Hawai'i" and lo and behold, there is one. I was hoping for malasadas, though, because from what I can tell, Hawaii has developed one of the best regional baking traditions in the US. But you got there before I could even ask, which is faster than Hello Fresh can deliver a meal.

[@ndb_1982]

The crazy thing is, you were probably there at the same time! How awesome it would have been to see Max, "in the wild" 😊

[@ronnielee33]

Portuguese people brought malasadas to Hawai'i. Leonard's Bakery perfected the recipe (IMO). 😉

[@purplealice]

I was having a conversation about cooking with a friend online. I mentioned how I make a Sichuan cold dish by shredding cooked chicken and adding a spicy sauce. He told me that you can shred any kind of cooked meat easily with a Kitchen Aid mixer - just put a piece of boiled chicken or roasted pork into the mixer bowl with the flat blade, and beat it to shreds that way. I tried it, and the spicy sauce blended very evenly with the chicken. He said he uses it when he makes carnitas.

[@jasonsmart3482]

Sadly its quite tricky getting banana leaves in the UK so might just have to pop over to hawaii and indulge in a full luau. Such is life, but when you love pork!!

[@singing-sands]

We were just there a month ago. Thanks for the informative background history.

[@michael-ms4ho]

Wow I’ve been hearing about luau since I’ve been a little kid like when the Brady Bunch went to Hawaii and yet never knew what the history of it was … that’s a great story thank you Max!

[@grumpyoldlady_rants]

I really enjoyed going to Luau when I lived in Hawaii (Oahu). Paradise Cove my favorite. But, this was almost 20 years ago. When they put the poi on the table, my son thought it was pudding and put a big spoonful in his mouth. He sure got a surprise!

[@DanielDod]

Thank you for the history of the luau! I also enjoyed many a Mai Tai during my time on Maui. Thanks to Ippy for the cooking, too. I just bought his cookbook to try more of his recipes! 🤙🏻🌺

[@SllyGrrl74]

I have a friend who lived in Hawaii that made Kahlua Pig for me once. SO SOOO SOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOD!

[@themysterylady842]

I started learning about Polynesian culture from Bionicle because a lot of the names of places and of people were actually Polynesian words. Also fun fact Lego was sued over the word "Tujunga" (I think that's how it's spelled) they were forced to change it to "Turaga." People who were not familiar with Bionicle or Polynesian culture looked at me kind of funny when I was pronouncing the names of different Bionicle, it makes me laugh now. XD

[@Chameleonradio]

No, they changed "Tohunga" to Matoran. Turaga was only to refer the village elders. The Māori requested they change some words and they did, there was no suing involved--it would just have looked super bad if they took an indigenous languages words, made money off of them, and then totally ignored their concerns.

[@themysterylady842]

@@Chameleonradio Oh okay, it's been many years since I've heard anything about that, so misinformation probably got spread around somewhat and I was also very young so I probably didn't know the difference between a lawsuit and a request at the time anyway. Not to mention I was going through a lot in my life so I probably didn't care enough to look further into that. I just wanted to escape from crap, you know? But thank you for the correction.

[@Chameleonradio]

@@themysterylady842 Understood, sorry if I came across as a little harsh. Bionicle was a really cool theme and was meaningful to a lot of people--including myself, despite its flaws. Even though it's no longer an official theme, there are still people building awesome models and doing fanart.

[@themysterylady842]

@@Chameleonradio Nah it didn't seem harsh to me, but yeah I'm still very much into Bionicle even now, there's so many cool moc's! I still have some Bionicle sets that I really want to dive back into, but life has gotten in the way lately.

[@Louzahsol]

I did after i saw the movie whale rider. The old man’s whale tooth became my obsession and the reason for my dive into the rabbit hole