Hawaiians are particularly interested in the elelo of wana, which is most commonly eaten raw, but can also be cooked or sun-dried. It is considered the most delicious urchin by far (Titcomb 1978). Wana could not be harvested bare-handed because the spines are sharp and poisonous, so they are harvested with sticks and handled via the under side, which has shorter, duller spikes. Although the elelo is the star of the show, the kai could also be eaten. Elelo and kai from wana could be combined to make a salty relish that can be eaten with poi or sweet potatoes (Titcomb 1978).

Wana is also a general term for sea urchins (Hoover 2006).

There is an old Hawaiian proverb, "Pala ka hala, momona ka hāʻukeʻuke," meaning "when the pandanus fruit ripens, the sea urchin is fat." This proverb teaches that hā'uke'uke are seasonal, and are best harvested when hala fruit is abundant in the fall.

A unique tool, Hawaiians also used the spines of  hāʻukeʻuke ʻulaʻula as writing implements (Titcomb 1978).

These urchins are considered useless for food, though hāwaʻe maoli are marginally preferred over other hāwaʻe (Titcomb 1978). By extension (and mildly entertainingly), the term hāwaʻe is also used colloquially to describe a useless person (Hoover 2006).