poʻo kuke
The Hawaiian word for chef is poʻo kuke.
poʻo kuke is used to refer to the head cook of an establishment, such as a restaurant. If you are referring to a highly skilled chef, such as a culinary master or a food expert, you might use the term Kumu mea ʻai.
Meaning: head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term poʻo kuke is composed of poʻo, meaning head or leader and kuke, meaning cook.
Did you know?
- The word poʻo is a cognate of the Malay word hulu and the Tagalog word ulo, both of which also mean 'head'.
- While poʻo kuke describes a job title, the term Kumu mea ʻai uses Kumu, a word usually reserved for a teacher or a source of sacred knowledge.
Example conversation
Malia and Koa are talking about a local restaurant.
- MaliaHe poʻo kuke ʻia ʻo Koa?Is Koa a chef?
- KoaʻAe, he poʻo kuke ʻia.Yes, he is a chef.
- MaliaHe maʻika ʻia i ka kuke ʻana?Is he good at his cooking?
- KoaʻAe, he poʻo kuke maʻika loa ʻo.Yes, he is a very skilled chef.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kuke, poʻo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
