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We're
often asked to recommend the most "authentic" commercial
luau in the islands or to suggest which of the foods should
be served at a "traditonal" luau. There are
no good answers to these questions!
If
by authentic or traditional, one means what would have been
done or served in ancient times, we have to first change the
name. The Hawaiian word lû'au means young taro
tops, and also a dish made with the leaves, cooked with coconut
milk and chicken, octopus or squid. This dish was served at
celebrations, so it's likely that a visitor, sometime in the
1850s, confused the word for what they were eating with the
whole party, and the word stuck.
Taro
Patch
A rose by any name would smell as sweet,
and so too is a get together with friends and family, which
is the most important thing to remember. Freely sharing what
we have and the feeling of community cannot really be bought
and sold. Entertainment can be purchased. Food and beverages
can be purchased. Friendship and the feeling of belonging
and contributing has no retail value!
Now that you know that no commercial luau can
be either "authentic" or "traditional",
we can move on to enjoying the food, the music and dancing,
and being with other people. All commercial
luau offer this! And this can be incorporated into your backyard
barbeque, family picnic, birthday parties or any celebration
no matter where you live.
If you're looking for a good commercial
luau, we recommend that you visit Hawaii
Activities and select from the many attractions and activities
they make available to order online. If you're planning your
own luau-themed party, you'll find more information on these
pages:
Imu
Cooking | Luau Party Ideas
| Luau Recipes
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