Huli Huli Chicken: A Parking Lot Barbeque in Hawaii

Okay visitors, there is a good chance that while you are visiting Hawaii you are going to run into something resembling a family barbeque, except that it’s not taking place in Grandpa’s backyard, but in the parking lot of large store, like Wal-mart for instance. Or maybe it’s set up on the side of a road you are traveling. You’ll see blue tarps strung up over a series of poles, and a lot of really good-smelling smoke wafting out from the area. This, dear visitor, is a huli huli chicken sale. Trust me, you want to buy one.

The taste sensation is due not so much to the chicken itself, but to the world-famous Huli Huli Sauce. The patented Huli Huli Sauce is one of the world’s best barbeque sauce recipes and is sold in Japan, Europe, and the mainland U.S. is the creation of the late Ernest Frank Morgado, a local boy who graduated from St. Louis High School on the island of Oahu, and was a founder and the president of the Pacific Poultry Company.

Huli huli is Hawaiian for turn-turn, and references the way the chicken halves are turned repeatedly over the fire. The huli huli chicken sale is one of the most common forms of fundraising in Hawaii. Head on over to the tent and you will likely discover a kid’s baseball team trying to get to another island, a group of family and friends raising money to help out someone who has been struck with a medical tragedy, or a church hoping to send their youth group on a mission. Of course, there are as many reasons to have a huli huli chicken sale as there are to fund-raise; the only way to find out what’s going on is to go check out what’s under that tarp.

Huli Huli Sauce is used not only for chicken, but for any meat that can be marinated and placed on the barbeque grill. It’s distinct flavor comes from a variety of ingredients, including among other things, ketchup, pure Hawaiian brown sugar, soy sauce (locally known as “shoyu”), and fresh ginger. Lots of people make their own marinade from scratch, adding their own distinct flavor to the popular dinner.

You are going to want to buy one. At least one. But first, go into Wal-mart and get some paper goods to take to the beach. The next step is to grab yourself some macaroni salad, cooked rice, and your favorite beverage from the nearest grocery store or plate lunch place. Now you are ready to pick up the chicken dinner that you won’t forget. Take it all down to the nearest beach and find yourself a great spot to watch the sun slip down into the sparkling blue water. Then count your blessings that not only are you in Hawaii, but you didn’t miss out on the huli huli experience.