Kahe Steamed Fish

Introduction: A Hawaii food favorite is Steamed Fish that has different fillings a versatile favorite food that is getting more popular overtime. To get a large fish it might take some getting to know the right vendors as the waters have less fish than they use to, but people have been getting creative with presentations and fillings to make this traditional food gain more attention with unique ingredients. Families invest a lot of their time developing original variations of the dish, especially for families that are involved in fishing or the ocean, but people outside in the commercial space are looking to see how this demand can help sustainability of the colorful fish that make it as delicious for the eyes as it is for people's appetites. 

Evolving: The Kahe Steamed Fish would be served on a serving platter on very special occasions, so the fish of choice that helped create its popularity was the variety of Snappers that people used in their home recipes. Then people moved towards coral fish that were more affordable with Parrot Fishes becoming a meaty favorite and alternative to the snapper. There a variety of stuffings and there are new ones being made all the time with the ever changing landscape of Hawaii food culture. There are even people from potlucks who are considered "Kahe Specialists" that they are known for their dishes that are steamed, stuffed, and oiled. Those who are cooking the more modern steamed fish are those that claim the "Kahe" name as they attempt to elevate the dish to new levels of interest in hopes people appreciate and respect the food from the sea, even more than they already do.

Hawaii Choice Fish: Hawaii Fish species are necessary for the flavors of Hawaii or those with enough historical backing to make it into Local Culture. So people started turning to the fillings are really what make things interesting in the way it is starting to look more lavish and innovative creations. Local Hawaii-Chinese Chop suey restaurants that were in Chinatown had their own variations that were inspired from different areas on oahu. It eventually got the nick name of "Chinese Steamed Fish" or those that served the fish with Lup Cheong and Mayonnaise as stuffing for the fish were called "Cheonged Fish". Generally the fish that were used at first started with affordable Flatfish like Tilapia, Flounder, Butterfish (Sablefish), and Seabass was the expensive option.

Adapting to Local Tastes: Traditionally many of the options of fish were Brown or Black, and darker looking fish and then movements like Hawaii Regional Cuisine made it flashy to use fishes that were Red or Grey and had more color to them. Meanwhile at home the humble dish would be using some of the most colorful fishes that were Teal and Yellow. There were even those who would study Hawaiian Fish Ponds, so that the bounty of Hawaiian Fish Raising were able to be displayed and visually it made it quite attractive.  These would consist of: Species of Goat fish like the "Weke'ula" and have different fish ponds associated to both the fish and the dish. The brackish water Mullet would also receive this treatment like the "Uouoa". He'e where it offers a completely different take where it has a mollusk instead of a fish. And then of course the Kings Fish "Moi" would be displayed emphasizing a royal dish.

Fish Markets: The fish that people chose as high quality ingredients were commonly sea fish, like: uku grey snapper, onaga longtail snapper, ehu squirrel fish, and opakapaka. These fish came with a premium price for being harder to catch and thought of as a gourmet fish as a fishmonger explains that they were high in demand at homes for celebration and at high end restaurants. The fishmonger goes on to explain that much more of the younger makers of the dish go for more unusual stuffings with choices like homemade spicy mayo sauce with diced charred green onions and sprinkles of kukui nut on top. The reason for this is that the people eating want other people to see how well people in Hawaii display their food and focus on attractive Kahe Steamed fish and that has brought interest from international tourists as a mystery dish from a homestyle Luau thanks to influential figures like Anthony Bourdain and Lanai Tabura who featured it on "No Reservations". 

Stuffing: There is another factor to the popularity of this dish and it is that it has a broad selection of fillings and there are just so many with some home cooks having around thirty kinds altogether. The most popular stuffings (01.) "Seasoned Portuguese Sausage in Mayonnaise" and (02.) "Lup Cheong Chunks" take the top spot in many people's personal lineup. A list was made of some of the most interesting stuffings consist of: (03.) Shiitake Lap Cheong in Lemon Mayo [oyster sauce, sambal, garlic], (04.) Tripe Poke in Sambal Shoyu Mayo [ginger, garlic, lemon pepper], (05.) He'e Wana Mayo, (06.) Portagee Nametake Clam Mayo [nametake, clams, portuguese sausage]. These are some of the unique options in the lineup.

Etymology: Kahe Steamed, gets its name from "Kahe" which means to flow, trickle, drop, or melt in reference to the hot oil finish that the seafood gets for a final sizzle. When eaten it goes well with poi, rice, and even bread, due to its saucy nature. It is a simple way for fisherman to get the taste of coral out of fish that are caught near the shores and has been eaten by families since the plantation days. The presentation of a whole fish at the time was a common sight, since there were restaurants that would often times serve a sizzling fish with oil poured on it at the end as a display and for additional flavor as the fish taste becomes stronger afterwards as it goes into the oil. 

Origins: The dish is characterized by its whole animal look and oily sauce that goes on after it has been steamed. The fish that is used tends to be fishes that have few bones and lots of meat on them, but it is even better if they lend their flavor to the sauce, allowing people to enjoy the nice meat and oily texture. While there might not be a single exact date the dish arrived it was around the time mayonnaise was integrating into Hawaiian cuisine. This process had changed as Chinese families married into Hawaiian families and started to make a mixture of old Hawaiian recipes that made both sides of the family Chinese and Hawaiian happy. Some say it originated from the settlers from New England heritage and those who immigrated from the states that were following national cooking trends. This would include fish like: Atlantic Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Pollock, Sole Flounder, and Halibut. However that would be confusing it for another dish that depends on the gourmet furikakes and got popular with using Salmon called "Furikake Salmon". So the list of fish that are used in that dish are separate from the ones used for "Kahe Steamed Fish".

Popularity: When people think pot lucks in Hawaii it is a popular dish that has a bed of vegetables and a fish that is smothered in a thick creamy sauce. It has come to be known in the islands as "Steamed Fish" and outside the island as colorful food of Hawaii. It is seen as everyday taste and the volume is nice and many places has its own. In Hawaii the most popular fish this cooking method is used for is the prized "Parrot Fish" that has a very corally flavor and taste of seaweed that is neutralized from the technique of slathering mayonnaise and placing it inside the fish. You could say that the link of peoples love for varieties of Parrot Fish, the "Uhu" as its known in Hawaiian is part of how the dish became popular as well as linked to the many species of that particular fish.

Restaurants: In Cantonese cuisine the dish is similar to what is known as "Qing Zheng Yu" (清蒸鱼), which literally translates to "clear steamed fish". In Hawaii, people tend to use descriptive English terms, or sometimes the local name of the fish if it's a specific type popular for this preparation (e.g., "Steamed Uhu", "Steamed Moi", or "Steamed Opakapaka"). Back then it would often just be called "Steamed Fish" and would use flounder, cod, and more white fleshed fish. Traditionally the dish was served on a family-style platter with each person taking a portion of the fish. A waiter might even douse the fish in hot peanut oil to make a crisp finish for even more fats to absorb the fish flavor. Families would often time take the leftovers home and place them on a bowl of rice to stretch the dish by putting the sauce on the rice and the fish on top the rice with a little garnishing. It is difficult to say how this style changed from the method served at restaurants and had added on to it mayonnaise and fatty meats that were seasoned as it is still eaten today.

Etymology: As the deliciousness of the mayonnaise gradually spread throughout the islands it was called "Mayonnaise Steamed Fish", since it wasn't only using sizzling-oil as a sauce. This could be why it wasn't just called "Steamed Fish" as other places around the world might be more familiar with the Cantonese-style method. In order to make the dish more unique and delicious the name had to express its Hawaii originality and representation of the Hawaiian Language of Olelo. Some fishermen had referred to it has "Kahe Steamed" when it only used the sizzling-oil, or "Kahemayo" if it had mayonnaise, "Kahe Mayonnaise", or even "Fish with Stuffed with Mayonnaise & Sausage". 

Kahe Mayo, refers to a type of Kahe Steaming that uses mayonnaise for a Coral-Taste Neutralization method. Mayonnaise made of eggs and oil have a Mayo-flavor that neutralizes excessively fishy tasting morsels. When cooking medium-sized Weke Goat Fish (above 8 inches) they taste of the coral and water. The baking allows the flavor to go into the sauce and often changes the texture of the fish to a denser meat. Nenue (below 14 inches) that is baked with mayonnaise requires it to be hooked or carefully speared as its guts taste very bad, otherwise the mayonnaise may not be strong enough. Mayonnaise all over. The fish is sliced several times to place pockets of flavor. Mayonnaise is placed in a bowl and mixes up seasonings and slathers it all over the body of the fish. After that it is common to finish the dish with furikake or additional topping ingredients with hand fulls of small cubed sausage for additional fat. On the side oil is heated up until it is very hot and poured on the fish for a mouth watering savory sauce. Variations that include: Furikake-Mayo (Maui. Norikomi Mayo, Furikake Miso-Mayo, Furikake Peanut Miso-Mayo), Spicy-Mayo (Oahu. Sriracha Mayo, Kim Chee Mayo, Wasabi Mayo, Dry Mustard Mayo), Sweet-Mayo (Big Island. Teri-Mayo, Sweet Chili-Mayo ,Honey-Mustard Mayo).

Strong Sausages: The strength of the oiliness and fattiness of the strongly seasoned sausage is needed to fight the seaweed, coral, and ocean tastes in the mayonnaise. The dish comes from the plantation and it started with the very oily sausage that is "Lap Cheong sausage". Another sort of sausage that is used is the particular brand Redondo's "Portuguese Sausage" for its very oily properties. In waipahu it is not uncommon to see "Red Longanisa" as it is equally as oily as many of the fattiest sausages. If a meat is a sausage and doesn't have equally oily as those listed before it is common to add additional oil or fat with seasoning to balance the taste in the steamed fish. Variations that include: Cheonged (lup cheong, ginger, and cilantro), Pochoed (portuguese sausage, tomato, and sweet onions), Bukbukked (vinegar, shrimp, and longanisa), Kotonked (shoyu, shiitake, portuguese sausage, and arabiki sausage). 

Sizzling Oil Sauces: Fish fat oil. The classic way Chinese-Hawaiians would steam their fish was by putting some salt on time of the fish inside and out for more juices to come out. Juiciness was important to them, because it would allow for a fish broth to come out of the steamed fish. They would place diced ingredients in the fish which were usually some sort of herbs and spices. It was steamed in a wok or in a baking oven. It would be finished with sizzling sesame and peanut oil poured all over the fish with added alcohol that has been cooked with added shoyu. Variations that include: Scallioned (garlic, ginger, sesame, green onions), Gingered (green onions and ginger), Garlicked (garlic, green onions).

Varieties: 

Furikake Kahe, Maui has had a unusual recipe that is said to have come from a family from the Maui ports. It was said they were were uncomfortable with the idea of a strong flavored steamed fish and would go for the option to add some stuffing by adding seasonings, bread crumbs, celery, onions, with eggs, and mayonnaise to place on top of the fish. It was more of a topping or a side that complimented the dish without the need of rice.