Kalua facts for kids

Kalua is a special Hawaiian way of cooking food. The word kālua means "to cook in an underground oven." It can also mean the food cooked this way, like kālua pig or kālua turkey. The oven is a hole in the ground called an imu. Kalua is most often used to cook pig. Kalua pig is a very popular food at luaus, which are Hawaiian parties.

Ancient Hawaiians used rocks from rivers to cook pig. They heated these rocks in the imu. The pig would then cook slowly with steam. They covered the pig with banana leaves, ti leaves, old mats, and then dirt. This kept all the heat inside. This way of cooking gives the food a unique taste that is hard to make any other way.

What is an Imu?

An imu is a traditional Hawaiian underground oven. It's basically a pit dug in the ground. People heat up rocks inside the imu until they are very hot. These hot rocks then cook the food placed inside the pit. The imu traps the heat and moisture, making the food very tender and flavorful.

How is Kalua Pig Cooked?

Preparing the Imu

First, a pit is dug in the ground. This pit is the imu. Then, a fire is built inside the imu using wood. River rocks are placed on top of the burning wood. The fire heats the rocks until they are extremely hot. This can take several hours.

Cooking the Pig

Once the rocks are hot, the remaining wood is removed. The hot rocks are spread out in the bottom of the imu. A whole pig, often seasoned with salt, is placed on top of the hot rocks. Sometimes, more hot rocks are placed inside the pig's body cavity to help it cook evenly.

Covering the Oven

The pig is then covered with layers of wet leaves, like banana leaves or ti leaves. These leaves help to keep the pig moist and add flavor. After the leaves, wet burlap sacks or mats are placed over everything. Finally, a thick layer of dirt is piled on top. This seals the imu, trapping all the heat and steam inside. The pig cooks slowly for many hours, often overnight.

Kalua Pig Today

People today still cook kalua pig in much the same way that ancient Hawaiians did. Kalua pig is still a main dish at luaus and family gatherings. It's especially popular at baby luaus and other parties.

However, there are some rules about selling kalua pig. In some places, it's not allowed to sell kalua pig if it was cooked underground. Because of this, some companies try to make kalua pig flavor using "liquid smoke." But many Hawaiians say that the real kalua pig, cooked in an imu, tastes much better and is truly special!

Images for kids

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  Kālua puaʻa (kālua pig)

See also

In Spanish: Imu (horno hawaiano) para niños