International Poke Day – September 28, 2022, history significance why we celebrate timeline fact’s
International Poke Day is on September 28 and we are gearing up for the Hawaiian way of doing things — by eating poke. In Hawaiian lingo, a poke is called a ‘chop.’ The dish is fresh from the sea, marinated with sliced raw fish, sea salt, candlenut, seaweed, and a dark green sea plant called limu.
Akin to sushi, poke is eaten raw, however, it’s peppered with a concoction of spices. It’s a snack-time favorite in Hawaii and needs to get onto the popular bandwagon as soon as possible, like the Acai bowls. Did you know that poke has only been eaten since the 1970s in Hawaii and is now entering mainland America?
History of International Poke Day
Pronounced “Poh-keh”, the dish started as a snack by Hawaiian fisherman back before modern cultures brought different variations of the dish to their culture. It is considered to be a local comfort food by many of the natives on the archipelago. This dish didn’t start spreading in popularity until cookbooks in the 1970s started adding it to their recipe list.
As Hawaiian migration happened from the islands to the mainland United States, so did the appearance of Hawaiian restaurants pop up throughout the country. By 2012, these restaurants have increased the popularity of the dish itself. By 2014, the dish became popular throughout the rest of the world, one example including Pololi, one of the first poke shops to hit Hong Kong.
As for the celebration of poke, Sam Choy, one of Hawaii’s most popular food chefs, annually hosts a three-day poke festival called “I Love Poke”. The contest draws over 2,000 entries from Western Canada, the mainland United States, Hawaii, and the South Pacific.
People submit their recipes and help create a wide array of delicious poke to choose from, and whoever has the most creative and tasty poke wins the contest. Nowadays, the contemporary poke you find in restaurants can be made with avocado, ponzu sauce, teriyaki sauce, mushrooms, crispy onions, sriracha, cilantro, pineapple, and cucumber.
INTERNATIONAL POKE DAY TIMELINE
1970
Hawaiian Fishermen Discover Their Ocean Staple
It is first made by the local fishermen from the fish of the Pacific Ocean — the fish is gutted, skinned, and deboned before it is eaten.
2012
Hawaiian Restaurant Chains in North America
About 700 to 800 fast-food outlets open in North America and gain popularity due to their extensive variety of traditional and spin-off poke dishes that can be personalized.
2014
Poke is No Longer Served Pre-marinated
The diced fish is no longer massaged with salt, but sauces like the teriyaki sauce are dribbled on it before serving.
2021
Poke is Delivered to Space
UberEats, in collaboration with entrepreneur Yusaka Maezwa, delivers poke to astronauts aboard space stations.
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5 FACTS ABOUT POKE THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
The meaning of the word in Hawaiian
The word ‘poke’ in Hawaiian means ‘chunk.’
Poke rhymes with okay
Poke is not pronounced the way you think it should be — it rhymes with the word ‘okay.’
Poke is easier to eat than sushi
Poke is called the next-generation sushi for a reason — it’s a deconstructed version of sushi.
A bowl has 150 calories
This high-protein, low-calorie dish is one of the best ways to reduce weight.
40% of the top 10 orders
A large percentage of food requests in the world are for poke bowls.
How to Celebrate International Poke Day
Celebrate International Poke Day by partaking in this delicious Hawaiian dish! Start by getting your hands on 500 grams of sashimi-grade tuna and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Once you attain your raw fish, mix together 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of teriyaki sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, a teaspoon of minced garlic, a handful of chopped green onion, and add whatever else you feel would taste good.
Once you mix it all together, cover it with a plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for an hour. Then, when you’re ready, enjoy your awesome dish and hashtag #internationalpokeday on your favorite social media websites.
