Poke, what is it and where does this colorful bowl full of goodness come from?

First of all, let's discover the origins and meaning of the name of this dish, which is becoming popular everywhere and is now a trend on social media.

The poke or poké bowl is a dish of Hawaiian origin, typically based on raw chicken or fish, mixed with many different ingredients, from cereals to vegetables or even fresh fruit.

A unique dish, therefore, light and tasty, to be consumed as a main course, even if in Hawaii it is often served at the beginning of meals as an entrée.

How to prepare the poke bowl

In addition to enjoying it in many specialized take-away restaurants and fast-food outlets, which are springing up in dozens in Italian cities, you can also prepare it at home.

Traditional Hawaiian poke is often made with fish, especially tuna, raw and chopped into small pieces. It was the fishermen's snack, who used the scraps of the catch they had sold, mixing it with other ingredients.

It is a very fusion recipe, because it also recalls some typical elements of Japanese cuisine, such as seaweed, sesame or soy sauce used to season it. Not to mention the sushi, since it is actually raw fish!

The nice thing about poké, however, is that you can vary the ingredients a lot and have fun with the combinations, even preparing 100% vegetable versions.

Poke ideas with superfoods

To make a colorful and nutritionally complete poke bowl, you usually start with a base of cereals or pseudo-cereals, from rice to quinoa, whatever you prefer.

Then add the protein component, fish or meat but also tofu, legumes or other vegetable protein elements, if you follow a vegan diet.

Everything is completed by the addition of seasonal vegetables and fresh fruit, combining tomatoes and avocado, mango and onion, pineapple and edamame. Finally, a delicious topping that is a note of crunchiness, is perfect for us: cocoa nibs, for example, or almond flakes or pumpkin seeds.

An extra touch is given by some superfood powders like ours moringa oleifera, with its truly perfect spicy note in addition to exotic dishes, or a few drops of coconut oil to season and enhance oriental scents.