Spam fried rice, Hawaiian meatballs, coconut chicken, pani popo—we’ve got you covered with recipes fit for Moana. Or just your next Polynesian party.
Recently, we decided to host a Moana viewing party for friends, spanning ages from toddler to adult. Providing the venue and entertainment was straightforward, and tropical drinks felt essential, but the food was a question mark. The answer, naturally, was Polynesian Food. But what does “Polynesian food” really mean?
In the beloved film Moana, the culture depicted is a blend of various Polynesian influences, drawing from Hawaiian, Samoan, Maori, Tahitian, Fijian, and other traditions. While the movie beautifully showcases aspects like language, clothing, dance, and beliefs from this broad cultural region, it offers little in the way of specific culinary details. We see coconuts, of course, and mentions of pork, chicken cooking, fishing, and bananas eaten on voyages. This ambiguity, however, presented a delicious opportunity for interpretation when planning our menu.
My initial instinct was to search Google for “Moana party ideas.” This quickly led me down a rabbit hole of Pinterest-perfect crafts, like elaborate decorations I knew I wouldn’t have time to create. While there were some food suggestions, many leaned towards themed novelty items—heart-of-Te Fiti cookies or palm trees made of pretzels and chocolate. While undeniably cute, these felt more suited to a children’s birthday party, and we were aiming for something a bit more authentically flavorful and culinarily interesting for our diverse group. (Though, I did borrow the Kakamora coconut painting idea for the kids, which was a hit!).
To refine my search, I started focusing on specific Polynesian cultures. Hawaiian cuisine, with its well-known and approachable dishes, seemed like the perfect starting point. Spam fried rice immediately caught my attention. It was practical for serving a crowd, and personally, I’d always been curious about trying Spam. It felt like a culinary gap in my experience! Finding a reason to finally buy it felt like a win-win. And, as it turned out, it was absolutely delicious (recipe below!).
We needed a substantial meat dish, but roasting a whole pig in our apartment was out of the question. Meatballs seemed like a universally appealing option, especially for the younger guests. I opted for Hawaiian-style meatballs, adapting the recipe to exclude rice and focus on the meatballs themselves. These were tender turkey meatballs bathed in a flavorful pineapple-soy-honey-ginger sauce. I appreciated that this recipe offered a departure from traditional Italian meatball preparations, expanding my own culinary horizons. While I’m not sure if they are strictly “Hawaiian” or simply Hawaiian-inspired, their tropical profile was a definite crowd-pleaser.
Adding to our meat selection, a friend contributed a coconut chicken dish that was a resounding success. It was incredibly tender and intensely coconut-flavored. She unintentionally omitted the side coconut dipping sauce, but honestly, it wasn’t missed at all. Imagine elevated, incredibly moist coconut-crusted chicken fingers, and you’re close.
For a sweet ending, I discovered several recipes for pani popo, Samoan coconut bread rolls, which appeared remarkably simple to make. The method involves pouring a mixture of coconut milk, condensed milk, and sugar over sweet bread rolls. The rolls themselves can be homemade, frozen, or even store-bought fresh. I had intended to use frozen rolls, but my local supermarket only had fresh King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls available. This led me to the easiest version imaginable, directly from King’s Hawaiian. Despite my initial skepticism about baking already-fresh bread, I was completely blown away by how incredibly delicious these were. They were unbelievably good, like a tropical coconut version of a Krispy Kreme doughnut. They vanished almost instantly.
Since it was a movie night, we also included popcorn, made stovetop with coconut oil and then tossed with grated coconut, mini chocolate chips, and colorful Goldfish crackers (for the kids, of course). Our guests brought the fruity vodka cocktails (and mojitos), and a fun, flavorful evening was enjoyed by all. Now, the question is: what movie-themed food adventure should we embark on next?
Hawaiian-Style Spam Fried Rice Recipe
Recipe adapted from Foodology Geek
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old and slightly firm
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- 2 medium carrots, shredded or finely diced
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
- 1 (12 oz) can Spam, diced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1-2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (to taste)
- 1 (16 oz) bag frozen sweet peas
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Egg: In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and 2 tsp soy sauce. Heat a little sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, scrambling or making a thin omelet to dice later. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Brown the Spam: In the same wok, brown the diced Spam. There should be enough oil remaining, but add a bit more if needed. Once browned, remove from the wok and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add a little grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil to the wok. Sauté the carrots, shallot, ginger, and garlic until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Rice and Sesame Oil: Add the cooked jasmine rice and 1 tsp sesame oil to the wok. Mix thoroughly, breaking up any rice clumps with your fingers or a spatula.
- Incorporate Peas: Add the frozen peas and stir until heated through.
- Season and Flavor: Turn off the heat. Add soy sauce (2-3 Tbsp, to taste) and rice wine vinegar (1-2 Tbsp, to taste). Mix well and taste, adjusting seasonings as needed.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir in the browned Spam and diced egg.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle with sliced scallions before serving. Enjoy your flavorful Polynesian-inspired Spam fried rice!
End-of-night bonus: fresh coconut water!
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