b'bringing their staples and customs. To Hawai`is expanding mixed plate of foods and flavors the Chinese contrib-uted rice, noodles, char siu, and dim sum dumplings. The Japanese offered sushi, tofu, tempura, and mochi. From the Portuguese came spicy sausage, bean soup, sweet bread, and malasadas (doughnuts).And so it went: Puerto Rican pastele and gandule rice; Since taro was the firstborn, however, Hloa was expectedFilipino adobo, pancit, and lumpia; Korean kim chee, kalbi, to respect and care for it. In return, taro would feed him andand bibimbap, and much more all became part of the delec-his descendants. table variety we now call local food. Thus, taro became a sacred crop, a beloved staple, forResort food, on the other hand, was primarily Continental, the Hawaiians. In ancient times, only men could plant, cul- influenced by the grand hotels of New York and other culi-tivate, harvest, cook, and mash it into poi because they werenary capitals. Chefs were trained in classic French techniques clean unlike women, who were defiled by the monthlyand often came from Europe. Typical menu choices might menses. Poi was a representation of Hloa, so reverenceinclude beef with a heavy red brandy sauce and potatoes, for it was required; there could be no arguing or negativityduck in a Grand Marnier glaze, and so forth. during meals because that would offend Hloa. Then, in 1991, 12 brilliant young chefs forever changed Another indication of the honor and spiritual significancetheworldsperceptionofHawaiiancuisine.Insteadof bestowed upon taro is the concept of `ohana (family). Afterimporting ingredients, they showcased fresh, local meats and the mature corm is harvested for cooking and consumption,seafood and fruits, vegetables, and herbs grown on local the stalk and `oh (buds) at the top of the corm are replanted to produce another life-sustaining crop. Such is the lineage of a family treegeneration after generation descended from one root. Interestingly, `oh-na means offshoots. In addition to the edible canoe plants, the early Hawaiians ate fish, shellfish, squid, limpets, birds, chickens, pigs, ferns, herbs, and seaweed. It was a simple but healthy diethigh in fiber and starch and low in sodium, cholesterol, and sat-urated fat. N E W I N F L U E N C E SThe arrival of Westerners in the late 1700s gave birth to a new, diverse food culture. Explorers, traders, whalers, and missionaries introduced beef, potatoes, pumpkin, onions, coffee, and corn to the Hawaiian palate. Between1852and1930,immigrantsfromfaraway countriesarrivedtoworkonIslandsugarplantations, 8 1'