A Luau Is Named After a Taro Leaf Dish
A luau is a Hawaiian feast. The name comes from the food rather than the occasion.
A luau is a Hawaiian feast with food, music and dance. The word names a dish rather than the party: *lūʻau* is young taro leaf, traditionally cooked with coconut milk and served at such gatherings, and the meal took its name from the food. The name for the feast dates from the 1850s. Food is cooked in an *imu*, an earth oven where heated stones are buried with wrapped food and left for hours.
- A Hawaiian feast. *A beach luau.*
- Taro leaf. *Lūʻau.*
- Imu — the earth oven. *An imu.*
- Kalua — cooked in an imu. *Kalua pork.*
- Hawaiian — *lūʻau*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | luau | A luau. |
| Plural | luaus | Luaus. |
| Hawaiian | lūʻau | Taro leaf. |
| Related | imu | An imu. |
| Related | poi | Poi. |
- They held a luau on the beach.Feast.
- Luau means taro leaf.Etymology.
- Food cooks in an imu.Method.
How an imu works
- A pit is dug and lined with stones
- A fire heats the stones for several hours
- Food is wrapped in banana or ti leaves
- Everything is buried and left to steam slowly
- Similar earth ovens appear across the Pacific
Hawaiian *lūʻau*, young taro leaves, with the sense of a feast from the 1850s.
What does luau mean?
Young taro leaf. The dish was served at feasts, and the gathering took the name of the food.
What is an imu?
A Hawaiian earth oven where heated stones and wrapped food are buried together and left to steam for hours.