What Is Poke? Complete Guide to Hawaii's Raw Fish Dish

Poke (pronounced POH-keh, two syllables) is a Hawaiian dish of cut, seasoned raw fish. The word means to slice or cut in Hawaiian - which is exactly what you do to make it. The real thing, found at a local supermarket counter or a neighborhood poke shop, is fresh ahi tuna dressed simply: soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet onion, green onion. Clean. Direct. The mainland "poke bowl" trend borrowed the name and added rice, kale, and a topping bar. That version is fine on its own terms. It is not the same thing.

What is poke

At its core, poke is chunks of raw fish tossed with a restrained handful of seasonings. Traditional versions use sea salt, limu (seaweed), and roasted ground kukui nut, called inamona. Soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, and chili came later, carried in by Japanese, Chinese, and Korean workers who became part of Hawaii's story. It is usually eaten as a standalone dish, a first course or a simple meal, never fussed over.

The history of poke

Poke grows out of Native Hawaiian fishing traditions that predate Western contact. Fishermen would cut reef fish and small coastal fish (such as moano, ʻōpelu, and aku) into bite-size pieces immediately after the catch, seasoning them with sea salt harvested from evaporation ponds, chopped limu (seaweed gathered from tide pools and shallow reefs), and inamona (roasted and ground kukui nut kernels, which provided fat and flavor). The dish was practical: fresh fish cut on the boat or the beach with ingredients that traveled well and required no cooking.

Over generations, as immigrants from Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines became part of Hawaii's plantation society, their ingredients and techniques merged with the Hawaiian base. Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) became the dominant seasoning by the mid-20th century. Sesame oil from Chinese cooking, green onions and chili from multiple Asian traditions, and furikake (a Japanese seasoning) all entered the repertoire. The result is a dish that is a direct expression of the multicultural blending that defines all of local Hawaiian food. What began as Hawaiian reef fishing practice became something larger: a shared food that belongs to all of Hawaii's communities.

Common types

Shoyu ahi poke - ahi tuna with soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet onion, and green onion - is the most common style and a good place to start. From there: spicy ahi (with chili mayo), limu poke seasoned closer to the traditional way, and versions made with octopus (tako), salmon, or tofu. At a serious poke counter, the fish is the whole point and the seasoning is there to lift it, not overwhelm it.

Where to eat poke

Skip the resort restaurants. Some of the most memorable poke in Hawaii comes from a supermarket counter, a fish market, or a small neighborhood shop with a handwritten menu board. Eating where locals buy their poke is part of the experience - and often half the price. For more worth seeking out, see the plate lunch and our full Hawaiian food guide. And before you order, learn to say it correctly with our pronunciation guide.