Substitute Italian sausage for Portuguese sausage. Nuts Macadamia nuts are widely available and can be bought roasted, flavored or coated in chocolate. Kukui nuts, from the candlenut tree, are difficult to find outside of the islands, and can be substituted with macadamia nuts. Rice Rice is a staple of the islands. Look for Calrose, a short-grain white rice which becomes sticky when cooked.
Locals like to rinse their rice until the water is clear before cooking.
Seasonings and Sauces Hawaiian sea salt, or alae salt, gets its reddish tinge from clay, but you can use kosher salt instead. Furikake, a Japanese blend of seasonings such as sesame seeds, seaweed, bonito and salt, can be found in Asian markets. For Hawaiian chile pepper water, substitute hot sauce. Taro Also known as kalo, Hawaiian taro is the lehua variety. Substitute Chinese taro from Asian markets.