An alternative to a commercial luau, Imu Mea Ai is a Native Hawaiian-owned cultural food experience in Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii that offers visitors a hands-on introduction to the imu -- the traditional Hawaiian underground oven, dug and built directly into the earth. It enables guests to not just watch Hawaiian culture but to participate in the practice.
Launched in late 2024, Imu Mea Ai (pronounced EE-moo, may-aw, eye) was founded by Iopa Maunakea, who was born and raised on Oahu and moved to Pahoa around 1990.
On coming up with the idea for Imu Mea Ai, Maunakea said he felt luau were too commercial and wanted to create a food tour that was more like a workshop that was more personal and educational in nature. For that reason, Imu Mea Ai is far more than a food tour; it's hands-on cultural immersion.
"The whole time, from 10 o clock, everybody's engaging," said Maunakea. "They're intrigued by the whole process and everything. Even the locals who haven't been around imus for a long time or haven't been around imus period, they're intrigued, too."
Working up an appetite
The four-hour experience begins with guests assisting in building the underground oven and learning about its construction and how the food is cooked. An imu is created by digging the hole in the ground, adding kindling, wood and then lava rocks. Once it all burns down into hot coals, Maunakea said the food would be added and covered by banana and ti leaves.
On the tour, visitors build the oven that the next tour group will use; while the food they will eat is already being cooked in the oven that the last group built. "We burn it early in the morning and we prep food already and put the food in. So by the time they come, the food is cooking already by 10 o clock," said Maunakea. "They help us build the next imu."
The food, which is sourced locally, is ready to eat around noon, and it includes pork, fish and chicken. Sometimes, Maunakea said they'll add turkey during Thanksgiving. There's also a variety of vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and kalo (taro). "The idea is that everything comes right out of the imu, right into our opu [the Hawaiian word for stomach]," he said. "The folks then help us clean up, wash dishes, put away things. We make them just be like part of the family."
After lunch, guests take part in a cultural activity, such as lei making or pounding taro until around 2 o'clock, when Maunakea passes out surveys and the Pono Pledge, which encourages respectful and responsible visitor behavior in Hawaii.
A lesson in 'aloha'
Throughout the tour, guests also learn about the Hawaiian value of malama aina (caring for the land), regenerative practices and how everything used in the imu is returned to the soil. They also see firsthand the true meaning of aloha. "Aloha is the exchange of people, you know, engaging each other," he said. "You cannot take that away."
Maunakea said that for many visitors, the experience is often deeply emotional. "I truly believe, a way to a person's heart is through their stomach," he said. "A lot of them, they're coming and they're crying, they're emotional, they're happy, they're joyous, they're free, they're excited. That's what I like about doing our work."
In addition to founding and operating Imu Mea Ai, Maunakea is also the founder of the 25-year-old nonprofit Men of Paa, which
focuses on reintegrating men from the justice system through cultural
grounding and service work.
"They're getting their pride back. They're getting their culture
back. They're getting their sense of belonging back," he said of those involved in the program. The Imu
Mea Ai food tour directly benefits Men of Paa by providing employment
and hands-on cultural and service-based work for men participating in
the program.
Imu Mea Ai is priced at $150 for adults, $75 for ages 13 to 21. It can be booked weekly on Wednesdays through Tripadvisor, Viator or at imumeaai.com. Travel advisors are able to receive 20% commission on bookings.