GUAM
Ahi Tuna Poke

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

“My name is Annie. Food and I get along so well! Cooking and baking are more than a hobby for me – they’re a passion. I come from the beautiful island of Guam, U.S.A. The recipes you’ll find here are my creations, or those of my children, who are also budding foodies. I hope you like them. Drop me a comment or two to let me know how you like our island and other delicacies. Enjoy!”

– Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen

My family just loves seafood. One of our favorites is ahi tuna poke. One of our best memories of one of our vacations to Oahu, Hawaii is being able to find a variety of poke almost everywhere, even in grocery stores, and not just ahi tuna poke but poke made with smoked octopus, salmon, shrimp, and other seafood delights!

Here are four of our ahi tuna poke favorites. Clockwise from the top left: Shoyu Poke, Ogo Seaweed Poke, Kimchee Base Poke, Spicy Mayo Poke. Give them a try. I think you’ll like them.

All four recipes below have a few ingredients in common: ahi tuna, green onions, and either yellow, Maui, or any other sweet onion variety.

Cut the tuna steaks into 1/2-inch cubes. I find it easier to cut them while still partially frozen.

Now for the four variations – Shoyu, Ogo Seaweed, Spicy Mayo, and Kimchee Base.

Ahi Tuna Poke in 4 bowls.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Photos of ahi tuna, green onions, and yellow onions.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

1. Shoyu Poke Shoyu

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound ahi tuna

  • ¼ cup sliced green onions

  • ¼ cup sliced yellow onions

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • Chili pepper flakes, to taste

Shoyu— or soy sauce — poke is probably the simplest to make. Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili flakes in a small bowl.

Pour the Shoyu mixture over the ahi. Add green and yellow onions. Stir to combine.

Dressing.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Pouring dressing on diced tuna.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Shoyu Poke

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

2. Ogo Seaweed Poke

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound ahi tuna

  • ¼ cup sliced green onions

  • ¼ cup sliced yellow onions

  • 2 pinches dried ogo seaweed

  • 1 teaspoon alea (Hawaiian) sea salt

  • Chili pepper flakes, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons nori komi furikake

Sea salt.

Sea salt (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Dried ogo seaweed

Dried ogo seaweed (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Nori Komi Furikake

Nori Komi Furikake (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Ogo seaweed gets its name from — you guessed it — the Ogo seaweed that’s in it. Ogo seaweed poke is also pretty simple to make. It’s getting the ingredients that’s going to prove challenging, especially if you don’t have an international market nearby.

You’ll need dried ogo — a little goes a long way. I used maybe a couple of pinches of ogo for this recipe. I got a good supply of dried ogo on my last trip to Hawaii, but I have seen it sold in international markets. You can even order it from Amazon.

I also used Alaea (Hawaiian) sea salt in this recipe, but if you can’t find it, pink Himalayan sea salt will work in a pinch.

To make Ogo Seaweed Poke, add a couple of pinches of dried ogo, alea sea salt, sesame oil, Chili pepper flakes, green onions, and yellow onions to the bowl of ahi.

Stir to combine. Sprinkle nori komi furikake over the top.

Ogo Seaweed Poke

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Ogo Seaweed Poke

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

3. Spicy Mayo Poke

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound ahi tuna

  • ¼ cup sliced green onions

  • ¼ cup sliced yellow onions

  • 2 tablespoons kewpie mayo

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon aji mirin

  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon lime juice

  • 1 tablespoon sriracha, more or less to taste

A bottle of soy sauce.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

A plastic bottle of mayonnaise.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

A plastic bottle of mirin.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Spicy Mayo Poke is a popular one. The beauty of this version is you can make it as spicy (or not spicy at all) as you want. I usually make it not spicy, then add the spice (sriracha) to my own serving. This way pleases everyone in my family. One doesn’t like spicy foods, another likes it mild, I like it a little more than mild, and another likes it mouth-on-fire hot.

To make Spicy Mayo Poke, you’ll need kewpie mayo, soy sauce, aji mirin, garlic powder, lime juice, and sriracha.

Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl, including sliced green and yellow onions

The ingredients are in a bowl.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Stir to combine.

Stir to combine. (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Pour the mixture over the ahi.

Pour the mixture over the ahi. (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

 Stir to combine.

 Stir to combine. (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

4. Kimchee Base Poke

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound ahi tuna

  • ¼ cup sliced green onions

  • ¼ cup sliced yellow onions

  • 1 tablespoon kimchee base

  • 1 tablespoon aji mirin

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • ½ teaspoon rice vinegar

A bottle of kimchee base.

(Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

Kimchee Base is a unique ingredient for most, but it’s commonly sold in Asian or international markets. It’s usually used for — you guessed it — making kimchee, but I like to use it in many different recipes.

Seasonings are on a plate.

To make kimchee base kimchee, in a small bowl mix together kimchee base, aji mirin, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

All the ingredients are in a bowl.

Pour the mixture over the ahi. Add green and yellow onions. Stir to combine. (Photo by Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Annette Merfalen)

That’s it!

Four versions of ahi tuna poke, all delicious (trust me), and all super easy to make. Serve with hot steamed rice and enjoy!

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