CurtisJ category picks
Kitchen Essentials from a Hawaii kitchen point of view.
What you will find here
Start with the first story here, then keep going with the recipes and guides that make the whole section clearer.
The best Hawaiian seasonings are the ones that make local cooking taste clearer, not busier: good salt, shoyu, furikake, chili water, and a few smart extras.
Keep going
These are the next recipes and guides to open while this is still what you want to cook.
The best Hawaiian cookbooks teach local food without sanding off the context, the pantry, or the way these dishes are actually eaten.
Feb 23, 2026Best Bento Boxes for Hawaiian Plate Lunch and Meal PrepThe best bento boxes for Hawaiian plate lunch hold rice, proteins, and sides without crushing the food or turning lunch into cleanup work.
Try next
More from this section
If this is what you came for, these are the next ones worth your time.
The best Hawaiian snacks to order online are the ones that still taste like a real local craving once they get to your door, not just a gift-box cliché.
The best soy sauces and Asian condiments for Hawaiian cooking are the ones that make marinades, noodles, rice, and dipping sauces taste sharper instead of muddier.
The best Kona coffee brands taste like actual Kona, not marketing copy and blend percentages doing the heavy lifting.
The best Hawaiian hot sauces bring heat with personality, whether that means chili pepper water brightness or thicker sauces with real island-grown pepper flavor.
The best musubi makers and accessories are the ones that make shaping faster without turning a simple snack into a drawer full of gadgets.
Wood, bamboo, or plastic — which cutting board is right for your Hawaiian kitchen? A practical guide to choosing and using the right boards for poke prep, vegetable cutti...
From musubi molds to bamboo steamers, these are the essential (and often overlooked) kitchen utensils that make Hawaiian cooking easier, more authentic, and a whole lot m...
A guide to choosing the best fish knives for preparing poke, sashimi, and fresh catch at home — because in Hawaiian cooking, respecting the fish starts with how you cut i...
