Ahi Poke
Ingredients
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- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Hawaiian sea salt
- 1 tsp red chili pepper – finely minced
- 1 pounds ahi tuna – sashimi-grade, cut into 0.5-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup sweet onion – thinly sliced (~0.5 medium sweet onions)
- 1/4 cup green onions – thinly sliced (~1.5 n/a green onions)
- 1/2 cup ogo (limu) seaweed – rinsed and chopped
- 1 tbsp inamona (roasted kukui nut) – finely ground
- 1 tsp sesame seeds – toasted
- short-grain rice – cooked (for serving)
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, Hawaiian sea salt, and the finely minced red chili pepper.
2. Cut the ahi tuna into 0.5-inch cubes and add to the bowl.
3. Add the sweet onion, green onions, ogo (limu) seaweed, inamona, and toasted sesame seeds; fold gently to coat.
4. Cover and chill 10–15 minutes until the flavors meld and the tuna glistens but remains ruby in the center.
5. Spoon into bowls and serve over short-grain rice if using.
Ahi poke is a Hawaiian raw fish salad built on pristine, sashimi-grade tuna cut into neat cubes and gently dressed. The flavors are clean and briny with a subtle nuttiness from kukui nut (inamona) and sesame, sweetness and crunch from onions, and a light soy-salt savor balanced by fresh limu (seaweed). The texture is tender and buttery, with just enough seasoning to highlight—not mask—the fish, making it refreshing as a pupu (appetizer) or satisfying over rice.
The dish traces back to Native Hawaiian fishermen who seasoned bite-size cuts of reef fish with sea salt, limu, and roasted kukui nut; poke literally means “to cut or slice.” In the 20th century, Japanese and other Asian influences introduced shoyu (soy sauce), sesame oil, and green onions, shaping the widely loved forms sold at poke counters across Hawai‘i today. While modern versions span countless add-ins and sauces, the traditional core remains raw fish, salt, limu, and inamona—an iconic snapshot of Hawai‘i’s ocean and pantry.