It is the latest food trend that has also conquered the palate of Italians: the poke. A mix of exotic and colorful flavors based on very fresh fish served raw after being marinated with exotic spices and soy, usually in a bowl, the "bowl". To date it is the protagonist of a real craze that first took hold in the United States and then arrived overseas, becoming the favorite dish during lunch breaks. The confirmation comes from Uber Eats, an app for ordering takeaway food online, which, on the occasion of theInternational Poke Day analyzed the orders of the Hawaiian dish in our country: in the last year alone it recorded a 700% increase.
As with many fish-based foods, Poké (pronounced poh-kay) also has its origins near the sea. It is a poor dish born from the tradition of Hawaiian fishermen who used to eat it as a snack using the scraps of their catch (in fact the term literally means "cut into cubes"). Then the condiments were influenced by Asian cuisine. In fact, among the main ingredients we find green onions, seaweed, soy sauce and sesame seed oil.
Already in the 70s, the preparation of pokes became very popular. But only in the last 10 years has it gone crazy on the American West Coast, with increasingly popular poker in the area. Until the pokè-mania also hit Europe, with the United Kingdom at the top of the charts. While in our country, Milan was the first city to lead the way in 2017. To date, this trend has conquered all cities, from North to South.
The poker market in Italy
In our country, the market for this Hawaiian dish recorded a value of around 2020 million in turnover in 86 alone, reaching 98 million euros in 2021. According to forecasts, it could reach 143 million in another 3 years. It is when it emerged from the report “The pokè market in Italy” created by Cross Border Growth Capital, advisor in Italy for capital increases and extraordinary finance transactions for startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
According to experts, the trend is being driven by 9 main chains that dominate the market in major cities, obviously Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna and Naples, together with independent Pokè Bars, for a total of 378 restaurants. On the other hand, globally, in 2020, the sector reached a turnover of 1,74 billion dollars and it is estimated that it could reach 3 billion in 2024. In the year marked by the pandemic, the European Food Agency declared that Pokè occupies the ninth position on the top 30 foods ordered.
How the Pokè bowl is made up
You can buy it in pokeria or prepare it at home. In many restaurants you can even create your own Pokè Bowl to your liking, with your favorite ingredients and various condiments. For the composition you can choose a source of carbohydrates, one of vegetables, one of protein and finally, condiments e topping. As for carbohydrates, generally the choice is between rice (white, brown, red or black) or quinoa or barley. Then it's on to the proteins. Normally the protagonist of the dish is raw fish cut into pieces (salmon, tuna, croaker or octopus).
Obviously this must be very fresh and blast chilled. However, there are also variations: beef or chicken or tempeh, seitan, tofu, edamame and chickpeas for vegans. One or more vegetables are then added to the Pokè Bowl and here you can indulge yourself with zucchini, tomatoes, onion, carrots, wakame seaweed, cabbage and so on and so forth. Eventually you can also add fruit such as avocado, mango and pineapple. Finally, the sauces and toppings are chosen.
Among the former there is a wide choice: soy sauce, wasabi, teryaki, mayonnaise, tonkatsu, sweet and sour and so on. For the topping, you can opt for chopped nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios) or sesame seeds, crunchy onion and ginger. Otherwise you can transform the pokè into a delicious finger food, just wrap everything in a nori seaweed and transform it into a wrap.
Nutritional properties
Therefore, Pokè is a well-balanced single dish, ideal for those who want to stay in shape without sacrificing taste. This always if the ingredients are chosen with criteria. Because the charm of this colorful bowl is the possibility of customizing the dish according to your tastes and nutritional needs. To ensure that the Pokè remains "healthy" it is enough to prefer whole grains, a raw or steamed protein source, abound with vegetables, do not overdo it with dried fruit and avoid adding sauces, fried ingredients (such as onion) or cheeses.
