Introduction

I have been a vegetarian/vegan for over six years, and for the last two years I have been living in Hawaii. While there is no shortage of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, finding vegetarian-friendly local style food is quite difficult.

The local-style dishes are the product of several different groups merging: Native Hawaiian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Samoan, Tongan, American. Local food is diverse and each group has contributed its style and flavors. However, everything seems to have fish, chicken, or pork (or spam) involved in the recipe. This makes things difficult for those vegheads who want to try local kine grinds. 

Recently, I went to a work holiday party where the menu was anything but veg-friendly: kalua pork, lomi-lomi salmon, chicken and long rice, laulau, poi, rice, and various desserts. The one other vegetarian and I ate plain white rice and some poi while the omnivores dined on all sorts of dishes. This was the final straw. I took to the internet to find veg-friendly local kine recipes, but the majority of the dishes were some sort of fruit salad or dessert. While I love these things, it's not what you will find on a mix plate, at a cookout, or party. I decided it was time to try my hand at making some local kine grinds with a vegan flair. 

 I am no chef. I don't work in the food industry. I am just a girl who has been living a veg lifestyle for over six years. Also, I am NOT a local. I  just some haole girl from Ohio. In fact, it would be a lie to say that I have actually been able to eat any of the local grinds I will attempt to veganize. I just really want to try them, and I want to share them with the other frustrated vegetarians on the island. I have never had spam musubi, kalua pig, chicken and long rice, etc. I am going by sight, smell, and the words of my omnivore friends to judge the my version of local foods since I don't have a real point of reference. This will be a learning experience for us all. Hopefully, my food will be 'ono.