Sun, 03 May 2026 14:46:53 +0000

How This Special Sauce Turns Ordinary Lau Lau into a Culinary Obsession In the world of home cooking, few dishes carry the cultural heart and soul of Hawaiian cuisine quite like lau lau—a traditional packing dish featuring pork wrapped in within independent taro leaves and steamed to perfection. But whether you’ve cooked lau lau for years or tried it for the first time, something remarkable transforms it: a special sauce that elevates every bite into a sensory obsession. ### What Is This Special Sauce? The secret ingredient many home chefs and chefs alike swear by is a vibrant, spice-infused sauce—often made with fermented fish (ummu or poi base), garlic, chili, coconut cream, lime juice, and subtle hints of sugar and walnut or macadamia nuts. This isn’t just a condiment; it’s a symphony of flavors that harmonizes with the natural richness of pork and the earthy texture of taro leaves.