Episode 05: Hawaii is not a pizza

Kiki Aranita is a chef, columnist, and food entrepreneur who was the owner of Poi Dog, a restaurant and catering company that served Hawaii’s local food in Philadelphia. Her goals involved celebrating the underrepresented cuisines of multicultural origins and collaborating with other chefs. Since closing Poi Dog, she has kept her brand alive with innovative sauces. We get to delve into the diverse culinary culture of Hawaii, influenced by waves of immigrants from China, Japan, Portugal, the Philippines, and Korea. Kiki shares insights into Hawaiian plate lunches, focusing on the iconic chicken katsu plate lunch, its history, and its cultural significance. We also talk about proper pronunciation, why pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza and feral chickens. Tune in for Kiki’s personal anecdotes about growing up in Hawaii.

Make Kiki's Macaroni Salad at home

For more about Kiki’s work, or if you want to book her for an event, check out the webpage of KiKi Aranita.

Find more information about Chicken Katsu Plate check out the links below:

https://www.hungryhuy.com/chicken-katsu/

https://tworedbowls.com/2015/05/27/hawaii-plate-lunch/

https://www.eater.com/2016/3/12/11180628/hawaiian-plate-lunch-explainer

https://onohawaiianrecipes.com/chicken-katsu/#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20it%20has%20been,become%20a%20local%20Hawaii%20dish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_katsu

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/05/hawaii-feral-chicken-problem-kauai/674147/

https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/authentic-hawaiian-macaroni-salad/

https://www.foodandwine.com/hawaiian-macaroni-salad-7482469#:~:text=Some%20believe%20the%20origins%20of,dried%20macaroni%20to%20the%20potatoes.

https://www.gazette20.com/post/return-of-the-mac-hawaiian-macaroni-salad#:~:text=Each%20of%20these%20ethnic%20groups,and%20mayonnaise%20to%20the%20islands.

https://ricefest.com/all-about-rice/

https://www.saveur.com/food/sheldon-simeons-essential-hawaiian-pantry/

https://gurunavi.com/en/japanfoodie/2016/08/katsu.html?__ngt__=TT150f9b029007ac1e4ae7810QTKN66OoxQr13OEcEWX2g#:~:text=Katsu%20was%20invented%20in%20the,eateries%20and%20katsu%20specialty%20restaurants.