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Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Nanea's Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

A crucial part of a Hawaiian plate lunch!

Summer has officially come and gone in the Mid-Atlantic, and while I don't miss it, the sharp downturn into super cold winds and rain (and possibly snow!) has been a little too sharp this year. The sudden change has definitely made me a little wistful for milder weather, and so this weekend, I turned to Nanea for inspiration for my next blog post. 

This recipe might not be what you're expecting from an authentically Hawaiian dish, but this pasta salad is very much the real deal, especially if you keep it simple and let the ingredients speak for themselves. Read on to find out more about how this side dish has come to define a Hawaiian classic!



Pasta salad probably isn't the first thing you're thinking of when someone says Hawaiian food, but this version has become emblematic of the Hawaiian plate lunch. What's that, you ask? 

When the fruit plantations were first established on the islands in the 1880's, field workers would bring boxed lunches with them, often containing leftovers from the previous night's dinner and lots of rice as a cheap, filling way to pad out the meat. As these workers were extremely multicultural - Japanese, Korean, American, and so on - there was a great variety in what they would bring with them. By the 1930's, these make it yourself lunches had been replaced with food trucks that would serve lunch to workers on paper plates, thus becoming known as a plate lunch. No one's quite sure when the pasta salad became a staple on the menu, but plate lunches are now something you can pick up at diners, restaurants, and food trucks all over Hawaii, as well as other Hawaiian inspired joints. 

The plate lunch consists of some kind of meat - katsu pork, kalua pork, anything, really - two scoops of rice, and pasta salad, which some people suggest might have been an addition to appeal to people of all nationalities and tastes. I mean, what's not to love about pasta salad? 

Some recipes for Hawaiian pasta salad include pineapple and ham, but this is a mainland addition that's not really authentic. Adding ham and pineapple to everything and calling it "Hawaiian" got started in the 1950's, and has led to a lot of interesting recipes, but a huge misunderstanding about what constitutes authentic Hawaiian cuisine. 

It's also really easy to make, especially if you're following this recipe from Fav Family Recipes. Boil a pound of elbow macaroni according to your package instructions, and while it's still hot, add two shredded carrots, a shredded onion and two tablespoons of cider vinegar to it and mix well.


Next, whisk together 2 1/2 cups of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, plus salt and pepper to flavor it.


Fold it in to the pasta and then chill it for at least four hours, if not overnight before serving.


You're left with a big bowl of pasta that's ready to be shared with friends and family!


It's pretty mayo heavy, so I wasn't sure how it would taste when I tried it. Despite having visited Hawaii many times while my uncle was stationed there, I have never actually had a plate lunch, although I enjoyed a lot of really yummy food while I was there.


As it turns out, this is actually a pretty yummy pasta salad. The carrots add some nice crunch and brightness, and the two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar really pull their weight. This isn't exploding with flavor, but it's definitely not bland, either. It would make a really good accompaniment to pretty much any main course you'd be serving, and it definitely makes enough to feed a crowd, especially because all that mayo makes it not exactly waistline friendly. If you're not a carrot fan, this also seems like it would go pretty well with other vegetables or even spinach. 

And okay, maybe ham and pineapple too. It's just not the real thing if you go that route! 

Overall, this was a tasty treat that I've been enjoying as part of a balanced work lunch, and my wife has been enjoying as a side dish to late dinners. I would definitely make it again, especially if I was planning on going to any parties or cookouts. It's easy to see how this has become a must have all over Hawaii.

Too bad the weather's going to prevent us from enjoying any outdoor parties for a few months!

2 comments:

  1. This sounds delicious and easy to make. Macaroni salad is one of my favorites anytime of the year. Will have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete