In 1955 Ernest Morgado of Pacific Poultry Company and Mike Asagi a chicken farmer started serving bbq chicken at farm bureau meetings. Morgado used his mother's version of teriyaki chicken marinade recipe. Soon his barbeque chicken recipe became so popular he began selling it at private functions and fundraisers. Morgado kept the recipe as a trade secret and registered the trademark "huli-huli" for Hawaii in 1958 and the federal government in 1965.  He first sold it bottled in stores in 1986, and though he never published an original recipe, many people have come up with their own versions inspired by the original sauce.