Along the windward coast of O‘ahu, at Waiahole Poi Factory, the steam rising from a freshly unwrapped laulau carries a faint, tea-like scent that signals something older than the building itself. The bundle—pork, butterfish, and taro leaves sealed inside a ti leaf—is a direct line to a cooking method that predates European contact. In ancient Hawaii, these same leaves wrapped fish and taro tops for the imu, the underground oven that also produced kalua pig. The ti leaf (called lā‘ī in Hawaiian) does more than hold the bundle together: its waxy, non-porous surface creates a pressure seal during hours of steaming, keeping the meat tender while releasing a subtle, sweet aroma into the contents. This article covers what makes ti leaf wrapping distinctive, where to find laulau on the islands, and why the leaf itself carries a spiritual weight that many visitors overlook.
The ti leaf is smaller and significantly sturdier than a banana leaf, and carries a more complex spiritual and medicinal meaning within Hawaiian culture.
Most travellers encounter ti leaves as decorative table runners or hula skirts without realising the plant held sacred status long before it entered the kitchen. Traditional Hawaiian laulau requires at least four hours of steaming—six is better—and the ti leaf acts as a natural pressure cooker, a thermal buffer against direct heat that the thinner banana leaf cannot match.
Ti leaf-wrapped laulau is worth seeking out, but don’t expect a flavour revelation from the leaf itself—the ti leaf is inedible and fibrous. Its real contribution is texture and moisture retention. The inner taro leaves and the long steam time do the heavy lifting for taste.
Understanding Ti Leaf and Laulau
The ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) grows in residential gardens across every Hawaiian island, often planted at the four corners of a house or near an entrance to provide spiritual protection. In ancient Hawaii, the leaves were considered sacred to the god Lono—associated with agriculture, fertility, and peace—and to Hi‘iaka, sister of the volcano goddess Pele. Kahu (priests) still use ti leaves in blessing ceremonies today, dipping them into salted water to sprinkle over people or places. The same leaf that wraps your laulau might have been used in a house blessing the week before.
Culinary travellers seeking pre-contact techniques
First-time visitors wanting local restaurant recommendations
Home cooks attempting laulau with ti leaves
Laulau bundles appear on menus across the state, but the quality varies significantly. In Honolulu, Highway Inn, Helena’s Hawaiian Food, and Young’s Fish Market are consistently cited as benchmarks. Outside O‘ahu, laulau is served at restaurants and markets across all islands, though the ti leaf wrapping is sometimes replaced with banana leaf or even aluminium foil in faster-casual settings—a substitution that changes both the flavour and the symbolism.
Minimum steam time for traditional laulau. A pressure cooker reduces this to roughly 2 hours.
Where to Find Ti Leaf-Wrapped Laulau
O‘ahu’s Established Laulau Spots
Helena’s Hawaiian Food on North School Street has been serving laulau since 1946. The bundles arrive steamed for hours, the pork fall-apart tender, the butterfish melted into a rich, mineral layer. The ti leaf wrapper is dark green, slightly wilted from the steam, and must be discarded before eating. Highway Inn, with locations in Waipahu and Kaka‘ako, sources its ti leaves from local farmers and practitioners—a detail that matters when the leaf itself carries spiritual significance. Young’s Fish Market in Kalihi offers a takeaway version that freezes well in its ti leaf wrapping; frozen bundles should be steamed from frozen, adding one to two hours of extra time.
Beyond O‘ahu: Laulau on the Neighbour Islands
On Hawai‘i Island, laulau appears on plates at local lunch counters and plate lunch spots that also serve kalua pig and lomi salmon. The ti leaf wrapping is less consistent here—some kitchens use banana leaf or foil for speed—but the fillings often include sweet potato, a traditional addition that predates European contact. On Maui and Kaua‘i, laulau is served at restaurants and markets across the islands, though the best versions still come from family-run operations that steam for the full four-to-six-hour window.
In “ti leaf sliding,” people sit on large bundled clumps of ti leaves to slide down muddy hillsides—a recreational use entirely separate from cooking. The same plant that protects a house, wraps a meal, and dresses a hula dancer also doubles as an improvised sled on a rainy afternoon.
Practical Planning for Laulau Seekers
Timing matters more than location when tracking down proper ti leaf-wrapped laulau. The dish requires hours of steaming, so many restaurants prepare it in batches and sell out by early afternoon. Helena’s Hawaiian Food, for instance, often runs out by 1 p.m. Young’s Fish Market sells frozen bundles that let you steam at home—a workable alternative if you have access to a steamer and patience for the extra hour or two of cook time.
| O‘ahu Laulau Source | Steam Method | Ti Leaf Use | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helena’s Hawaiian Food | Traditional 4–6 hours | Yes, full wrap | Immediate sit-down meal |
| Highway Inn | Traditional 4–6 hours | Yes, sourced from local farmers | Cultural authenticity |
| Young’s Fish Market | Traditional, then frozen | Yes, frozen in leaf | Takeaway or mainland shipping |
Getting the Timing Right
Laulau is served at restaurants and markets across Hawaii, but it is most reliably available for lunch. Dinner service often means the batch started steaming that morning has been sold. If you want the full ti leaf experience, aim for a 11 a.m. arrival. On weekends, many families in Hawaii still make laulau at home for special occasions, which means restaurant supplies can be tighter on Sundays.
Some restaurants substitute banana leaf or aluminium foil for ti leaf, especially in fast-casual settings. Banana leaf is thinner, tears more easily, and does not create the same steam seal. If the wrapper looks brittle or the bundle feels loosely packed, the texture of the meat will suffer.
On the Ground: Eating and Understanding Laulau
How to Eat Laulau
The outer ti leaf is entirely inedible—fibrous, thick, and bitter. Unfold or cut the bundle open, discard the ti leaf, and eat the inner contents: the taro leaves (which have cooked down to a spinach-like consistency) and the meat. The butterfish will have mostly dissolved into the pork, creating a single cohesive filling. A squeeze of Hawaiian chili pepper water is standard. Leftover laulau freezes well in its ti leaf wrapping; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then steam from frozen for one to two hours.
Cultural Context: Beyond the Plate
Ti leaves carry a weight that banana leaves do not. In La‘au Lapa‘au (Hawaiian herbal medicine), chilled ti leaves were wrapped around a person’s forehead or limbs to help break a fever. A ti leaf lei is given as a symbol of deep respect, inner strength, and physical healing—often worn by men or gifted to those embarking on a significant new stage of life. Used ti leaves from cooking are traditionally returned to the earth or composted because the plant comes from the ‘āina (land) and is considered sacred. Throwing a ti leaf in the trash misses the point.
- Ti leaves are inedible—unwrap and discard before eating the inner taro leaves and meat.
- Authentic laulau requires 4–6 hours of steaming; pressure cookers cut this to roughly 2 hours.
- Used ti leaves should be composted or returned to the earth, not thrown in general waste.
Ti Leaf-Wrapped Laulau: What Visitors Ask
Can I buy ti leaves to make laulau at home?
Yes, but only if you live in Hawaii or have access to a specialty supplier. Ti plants are commonly grown in residential gardens across the islands, and local farmers supply leaves to restaurants like Waiahole Poi Factory. On the mainland, frozen ti leaves are occasionally sold at Asian grocery stores, but collard greens are the closest substitute for the taro leaf layer, not the outer wrap.
Does the ti leaf change the flavour of the meat?
Subtly. The waxy leaf releases a tea-like aroma when heated by steam, and its tight seal keeps the meat moist, but the leaf itself is not absorbed into the food. The rich, mineral flavour of laulau comes primarily from the butterfish dissolving into the pork during the long steam time, not from the ti leaf.
Is laulau gluten-free?
Traditional laulau contains only pork, butterfish, taro leaves, ti leaves, and salt—no gluten. But some restaurants add soy sauce or other seasonings. Always ask. The ti leaf itself is naturally gluten-free, but cross-contamination in a shared kitchen is possible.
Why is laulau so expensive compared to other Hawaiian plate lunches?
The ti leaf wrapping requires manual labour—each bundle is folded and tied by hand—and the four-to-six-hour steam time ties up kitchen space and energy. The butterfish (a premium ingredient) and the taro leaves (which must be handled carefully, as raw taro contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause throat irritation) also drive up the cost.
Can I freeze laulau in its ti leaf wrapping?
Yes. Laulau freezes well in ti leaf wrapping. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then steam from frozen for one to two hours. The ti leaf seal holds up to freezing, though the texture of the inner taro leaves softens slightly.
A Closing Thought on Ti Leaf Wrapping
What sets laulau apart from other steamed dishes is not the ingredients—pork, fish, and greens are common across the Pacific—but the leaf that holds them. The ti leaf is simultaneously a cooking vessel, a spiritual symbol, and a link to a pre-contact culinary tradition that survives mostly unchanged. The next time you unwrap a bundle and set the ti leaf aside, consider that the same plant might have been used that morning to bless a house or cool a fever. That context is worth more than any flavour the leaf could impart. For a deeper look at how these traditions fit into the broader food landscape, explore our guide to dining beyond Waikīkī.
Sources and further reading
The Significance of the Ti Leaf in Hawaiian Cooking and Culture. Waiahole Poi Factory.
Laulau: Traditional Hawaiian Wrapped Pork. Curtis J. Cooks.
Laulau Unwrapped: The Art of Cooking in Ti Leaves. Garden Island Grille.
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