ʻInamona is a condiment orrelish used in traditional Hawaiian cooking made from seed kernels of thekukui nut (candlenuts) andsea salt.
To make traditionalʻinamona, the fruits of thekukui are harvested, dried, and husked. The exposed dried nuts are roasted over hot coals until evenly blackish brown. They are then cooled, sometimes dipped in cold water to crack the secondary husk and expose the kernel. First ground with a stone and mortar, the crushed kernels are then mixed withalaea salt to prevent rancidity.[1]
In modern recipes,macadamia nuts are a substitute if candlenuts are not available.[2][3][4] It is sometimes mixed withseaweeds, often accompanying meals[5] or served with fresh fish.[6]
ʻInamona is used inpoke and sometimessushi.It enhances the flavor of the poke, which may be served "Hawaiian style" with a mix of sesame oil,limu, salt, andyellowfin tuna (ahi) or sometimesskipjack tuna (aku).
