The mix-ins are small amounts of strong things. Before poke had shoyuShoyuJapanese soy sauce, brewed from soybeans and wheat., home and fish-counter poke came in two flavours, onion or limuLimuHawaiian seaweed; in poke it’s most often ogo, a crisp, briny red seaweed, chopped. (Wikipedia), and those are still the base of it. The rest add crunch, colour, and a little salt.
The variables
- Sweet onion. Maui onion, or any sweet onion (Walla Walla, Vidalia), sliced thin. It’s crunchy and mild enough to eat raw in quantity.
- Green onion. Sliced thin, for a sharper, fresher bite.
- Limu. Hawaiian seaweed, most often ogo, chopped. It’s briny and crisp. Asian markets sometimes have it; otherwise, approximate it with other seaweeds (seaweed salad, or rehydrated wakame).
- InamonaInamonaRoasted kukui (candlenut), crushed with salt: the nutty seasoning in old-style Hawaiian poke.. Roasted kukui (candlenut), crushed with salt. Kukui can’t be eaten raw, and it’s rare outside Hawaii, though Asian markets sometimes carry inamona. Toasted, salted macadamia nuts are the usual stand-in.
- Toasted sesame seeds. A spoonful, for crunch and a nutty finish.
- Amount. Little enough that the fish stays most of the dish: a handful of onion and a spoonful of the rest per 450 g (1 lb) of fish.
Options
| Option | Pick it when | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Onion and green onion | Most of the time | Crunch and bite; goes with any seasoning |
| Limu and inamona | The old style | Briny and nutty; needs the salt seasoning |
| Sesame seeds and furikakeFurikakeA dry Japanese seasoning for rice: toasted sesame, nori, salt and a little sugar, often with bonito or dried egg. | Shoyu or spicy poke | Nutty, salty crunch on top |
| MasagoMasagoCapelin roe, smaller and softer than tobiko, and usually cheaper. or tobikoTobikoFlying fish roe: tiny, crunchy orange beads, sometimes dyed black, green or red. (fish roe) | Spicy poke | Small bursts of salt; folded in or on top |