Strange Hawaii Foodie Question

OK, move this if need be, but here goes.

On the mainland we usually find that our salt shakers have more holes than our pepper shakers, but as we honeymoon in Hawaii we keep finding that it's the other way around here. What gives? Any thoughts?

From what I've read there isn't really a definitive standard. It could just be a regional thing where the food is salty enough and people use more pepper at the table than salt. Or, it could be a case of the rice kept in the salt shakers to prevent clumping in the humid weather gets stuck in the larger holes.

jpreiser wrote:From what I've read there isn't really a definitive standard. It could just be a regional thing where the food is salty enough and people use more pepper at the table than salt. Or, it could be a case of the rice kept in the salt shakers to prevent clumping in the humid weather gets stuck in the larger holes.

The holes aren't larger, there are just more of them. If the regionality thing is true, then Hawaiians must have a lower tolerance for salt than those on the mainland as their food comes across as bland time and time again.

jpschust wrote:If the regionality thing is true, then Hawaiians must have a lower tolerance for salt than those on the mainland as their food comes across as bland time and time again.

That is one issue that I've never had with Hawaiian food. Some things may be less to my taste (like opihi) and some more, but--with the exception of poi (which I actually do like)--I have never considered any Hawaiian food I've had to be bland. I'm assuming, fwiw, that we're talking about "authentic" Hawaiian food and not the various versions served to tourists both there and elsewhere passing for true Hawaiian. (Not to even mention things that were brought to the islands by various immigrant groups like malasadas or teriyaki or lomi lomi salmon or chicken long rice or manapua or saimin or...jeez, I'm getting hungry, eh? Maybe we go fin' da kine place where we can go eat tonight....)