What is a luau?
Quick answer
A lūʻau is a traditional Hawaiian feast and celebration, usually featuring roast kalua pig, poi, live music and hula dancing. The name comes from the taro leaves used in a dish served at these parties.
Classic lūʻau dishes
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Kalua pig | A whole pig cooked slowly in an imu, an underground oven of hot rocks and banana leaves |
| Poi | A paste made from pounded taro root, a Hawaiian staple |
| Laulau | Pork or fish wrapped in taro and ti leaves, then steamed |
| Lomi lomi salmon | Salted salmon mixed with tomatoes and onions |
| Poke | Cubes of raw fish, often tuna, with seasonings |
| Haupia | A coconut milk pudding |
| Lūʻau | Young taro leaves cooked with coconut milk, the dish that gave the feast its name |
From ʻahaʻaina to lūʻau
In ancient Hawaii, feasts were called ʻahaʻaina. Under a strict religious system called the ʻai kapu, men and women had to eat separately, and women were forbidden certain foods. In 1819, King Kamehameha II broke the kapu by eating with women, and mixed feasts became common. The name lūʻau became popular in the mid-1800s.
Entertainment
Modern lūʻau usually include:
- Hula, the traditional dance that tells stories through movements; see where the hula comes from
- Hawaiian music with ukulele and slack-key guitar
- Polynesian dances from Tahiti, Samoa and New Zealand
- A Samoan fire-knife dance
- The ceremony of lifting the cooked pig from the imu
Lūʻau for visitors
Hawaii’s resort lūʻau are a popular tourist experience. Many locals, however, see the most meaningful lūʻau as family gatherings, especially the pāʻina for a baby’s first birthday, a tradition from times when many infants didn’t survive their first year.
The ʻokina
The correct Hawaiian spelling, lūʻau, includes a kahakō (a line over the u) and an ʻokina (a glottal stop mark). Hawaii is one of only two US states with an official language other than English. For Hawaii’s time zone, see what time it is in Hawaii.
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