A TASTE OF ISLAND LIFE

Inspired by her time in Hawaii, cofounder of Forts Ferry Farm and chef Emma Hearst shares her go-to weeknight dinner.

- Emma Hearst

GROWING UP, I TRAVELED to the North Shore of Oahu to visit family every year. My childhood memories of big waves, seashells, and sunsets drew me to eventually live there for a couple of years. My favorite way to learn about the culture and history of a place has always been through its food, so I tasted everything I could get my hands on.

My favorite? Cold Ginger Chicken, which you'll find at the roadside stands peppering the island's main roads. The dish was brought to Hawaii by Chinese laborers, one of the first immigrant groups to arrive in the 1800s, who came to work at sugarcane plantations. Wherever a group of people settles in the world, their food culture follows them as a piece of home. The contrast of the cold poached chicken and hot sticky rice and ginger puree hits all the senses.