I come from a complex and mingled cultural stew. Being a poi dog / hapa kid, various ethnicities are fairly strongly represented in my family. One of these is Portuguese.
There are several Portuguese varieties, each coming from different regions. My grandmother’s family is Northern Portuguese (more Gallic) where as my grandfather’s side is Southern, more Moroccan influenced. Add to that mix, the Asian and Hawaiian and sometimes you get a food variance that is well… unique.
Hawaiian Style Portuguese Sausage is one of these. Like the mainland Portuguese sausage, it’s made of pig’s blood but the spices are a bit stronger, with more garlic and a hefty dose of all-spice. Oh, and my mother has a very heavy hand with the Hawaiian Tabasco peppers so it’s pretty hot.
But it’s a taste of home. It reminds me of a very simple time sitting with my grandfather and his cronies as they drank beer in the pavilion of Kaiwiki Park. So today, I share with you a piece of my childhood and culture.
