The Loco Moco

The next time you’re in Hawaii, make a point of getting away from the megahotels and tourist traps to indulge in some true local fare. The cuisine of Hawaii is varied but heavily influenced by Japanese cooking and mainland American cuisine. You may be surprised to learn that Spam is a menu staple in most local cafes. As the story goes, Spam was the only meat product available to U.S. troops stationed in Hawaii during World War II. After the war the troops left and Spam remained.

Two unique variations on the burger in Hawaii are the Loco Moco and the teriyaki burger, both available at many cafes, counters, and restaurants throughout the Islands. Sure, you can visit a burger shop and get a ring of pineapple on a burger, but that’s actually not authentically Hawaiian. In fact, the idea of ham and pineapple on a burger was created in Ontario, Canada, in the early 1960s, not in the Hawaiian Islands.