Hot. Hot. Hot. It’s the only way to describe the poke bowl craze that’s sweeping the country. What started centuries ago as a hearty and inexpensive meal for Hawaiian fishermen has become the latest food trend to arrive on the mainland.
Poke (pronounced “poy-kay”) means “to section,” “slice” or “cut” in Hawaiian. Traditionally, a poke bowl is made with tuna diced into thick cubes, but the dish has since morphed into a picture-worthy menu option for both fish lovers and vegetarians alike. In fact, Bon Appetit insists that poke is such a ubiquitous term that it can mean anything chunked.
Today, acclaimed poke spots can be found everywhere from California to New York. In the battle of the food trucks, poke trucks attract as many customers as trucks serving Korean barbecue –another hot food trend. As diners have grown more comfortable with raw fish (the sushi phenomena didn’t begin until 1973, with the creation of the California roll), and the popularity of grain bowls has surged, more and more people see poke bowls as a convenient and accessible way to get a healthy meal. Of course, you don’t need to go to a Hawaiian-themed restaurant or seek out a poke food truck to enjoy the latest food craze. These three poke-inspired bowls are perfect for making at home.

Servings |
2servings |
Servings |
2servings |
- 1 lb Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna cubed
- 2 tbsps Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 Scallions thinly sliced
- 1 Avocado pitted and cubed
- Brown Rice cooked
- Seaweed Salad optional
- Pickled Ginger optional
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
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- Cut the tuna into bite-sized cubes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Add cubed tuna and scallions. Let marinade for five to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pit and cube the avocado. Add the avocado to the tuna and mix together.
- Scoop brown rice into bowls, top with tuna, avocado, seaweed salad and pickled ginger.

Servings |
4servings |
Servings |
4servings |
- For Bowl
- 1 lb Firm Tofu cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- Cornstarch for dredging
- Shiitake Mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 cup Tomato diced
- 1/4 cup Cucumber diced
- 1/4 cup Bean Sprouts
- 1/4 cup Furikake
- For Sauce
- 2 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup Sesame Oil
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
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- Preheat oil in a large pan. Dredge cubed tofu in cornstarch, and when the oil begins to ripple, fry tofu until golden brown. Drain tofu on paper towel and set aside.
- Meanwhile, to make Poke sauce, whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Toss fried tofu and vegetables in a bowl. Add Poke sauce and mix gently.

Servings |
1serving |
Servings |
1serving |
- 7 Shrimp
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 cup Short-Grain Sushi Rice
- 1 Cucumber chopped
- 1 Carrot shredded
- 1/2 Avocado sliced
- 1 Mango diced
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Ingredients
Servings: serving
Units:
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- Cook rice and drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, mix shrimp, sesame oil, sesame seed and juice from ½ lemon. Cook shrimp for five minutes or until pink.
- Place rice in a bowl, followed by cucumber, carrot, mango and avocado. Add shrimp mixture. Add salt and pepper and top poke with sesame seeds.