Lomi Lomi Salmon

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cabanalane
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Lomi Lomi Salmon

Post by cabanalane »

Do you like your lomi lomi salmon raw or cooked? Just wondering.

Also, anyone know the history? It's not a native fish to Hawaii. And it lives in rivers, etc, in cooler regions.

So how did it became a part of the local diet? One can say it was introduced, like manapua. Ok, the Manapua man was Chinese, he brought it over. And everything he need to make manapua can be found in Hawaii.

But not salmon.

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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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Ah, lomi lomi salmon. The quintessential Hawaiian food. Salt salmon, tomatoes, white onions, green onions. All endemic to Hawaii. Or an enigma to be sure. Next question: chicken long rice?
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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Manapua. I'm sure that the ancient Hawaiians were growing wheat back in the day as well. Not to mention the red food coloring too.
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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My3Cats wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2019 8:33 am Manapua. I'm sure that the ancient Hawaiians were growing wheat back in the day as well. Not to mention the red food coloring too.
I get your point. Once the ships started to arrive, they can import a lot of things. But Salmon is different. I don't imagine they ice the fish back then. And considering it's not a warm pacific fish, how did it become "local?"

Or was this dish invented much later with modern transportation? That's the reasoning behind the question. And I'm thinking of making some this week...

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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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I haven't heard of cooked lomi salmon. Usually it is made from salted salmon. I think Hawaii consumes 90% of the world salted salmon. The old time sailing ships kept salted salmon on board because it could be kept for long periods of time. This was raw salmon packed in salt. The Hawaiians besides not having any salmon also did not have tomatoes or onions but still managed to come up with this ono concoction. Awesome job old Hawaiian guys! They made use of the salted salmon with stuff they could grow in Hawaii.
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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LOL. I love lomi salmon and am glad that someone in the past invented it here in Hawaii. Eh cabanalane, get salt salmon on the mainland? Hard to find? I can't imagine any other modern day use for it since fresh/frozen is so readily available.
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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If you can get raw salmon then you can just pack it in salt for a few days. I would probably freeze it for a couple days though to make sure no mo worms.
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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dakineguy wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:20 pm If you can get raw salmon then you can just pack it in salt for a few days. I would probably freeze it for a couple days though to make sure no mo worms.
Worms. Ewww. That's why I seriously cut back on how much and how often I eat poke and sashimi now days. Fish really needs to be cooked, or in the case of dakineguy's suggestion, frozen.
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uhwarriors
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

Post by uhwarriors »

I've often wondered the same thing about how lomi lomi salmon became part of Hawaiian food. My guess is that it replaced some other kind of fish when salmon was introduced to Hawaii.

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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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uhwarriors wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:59 pm I've often wondered the same thing about how lomi lomi salmon became part of Hawaiian food. My guess is that it replaced some other kind of fish when salmon was introduced to Hawaii.
I kind of wonder about that too, was there some "forgotten" food dish that got replaced?

I guess we can say Spam didn't become a big part of Hawaii, until after WWII, correct? So does that mean there was no (Spam) musubi?

I'm old, but not that old, so when I was a kid, and enjoyed these foods, it was not what my parents or grandparents ate? The thought never cross my mind, so I never ask them.

I mean, whether you pound mochi in your backyard or cook the pig in the ground, the food item never went away. Only the way it was prepared changed, or now you buy them at the store.

So I wonder what ono stuff from the past that got forgotten or replaced as time went on?

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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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Fish and poi!
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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Here. Found it for you. And remember, everything that you read on the internet has to be true!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Hawaii
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

Post by cabanalane »

Good reading, thanks. I'm glad I was around during the modern times because sounds like nothing good to eat in the Old Days.

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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

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cabanalane wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2019 9:32 am Good reading, thanks. I'm glad I was around during the modern times because sounds like nothing good to eat in the Old Days.
Fish and poi. Sweet potatoes. Dog. Thank goodness for the influx of immigrants and their cuisines!
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Re: Lomi Lomi Salmon

Post by chawan_cut »

cabanalane wrote: Thu Mar 21, 2019 5:08 am I guess we can say Spam didn't become a big part of Hawaii, until after WWII, correct? So does that mean there was no (Spam) musubi?
my mom and aunty just talked about this the other month... they recall eating this as kids in the late 40s and 50s. So someone must've thought of it back then.
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