WHAT IS Poké?

Poké /poukei/ is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine, and sometimes as an entree. Poké is the Hawaiian verb for "section" or "to slice or cut". Typical forms are aku (an oily tuna) and he'e (octopus). Increasingly popular ahi poké is generally made with yellowfin tuna. Adaptations may feature raw salmon or various shellfish as a main ingredient served raw with the common "poké" seasonings. The traditional Hawaiian poké consists of fish that has been gutted, skinned, and deboned. It is sliced across the backbone as fillet, then served with traditional condiments such as sea salt, candlenut, seaweed, and limu.