Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 1, 1 January 1998 — Poi is ʻono and pono [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Poi is ʻono and pono

By Claire Hughes, N u t r I f I o n i s t , Hawai'l Department Of Health

POI IS the preferred staple food of Hawaiians - if only we could find some and were able to afford it. At a Hawaiian health meeting a few years ago, Mrs. Hillary Clinton asked why poi was so expensive. We told her that taro is no longer grown in the uolands. that

freeways, houses and condominiums have replaced the lo'i and we explained that the fresh water needed for taro fields waters golf courses. Today, poi costs about $2 per eup. If eaten at three meals, that's $6, about $2,200 a year per adult. A family of four could easily spend $6,000 a year.

The quantity of poi for a muscular man doing physical work would be double and cost a minimum of $4,400 a year. By eontrast, the cost of white rice is 3 cents a eup, and adds up to less than $33 a year for a light eater, $66 for a muscular man doing physical labor and $100-$200 a year for family of four. What a difference! Is the solution made-in-China (M-I-C) poi? Did you know that there is no standard for commercial poi? The consistency of fresh poi ean differ considerably. Mixing speeds up the fermentation and souring. Would the imported poi be sour by the time it gets here? There is great mana in taro and poi. Traditional family methods of handling these staples demonstrate a respect and reverenee for the mana of Hāloa, the god of taro. The family poi bowl is kept elean. We kahi the inside rim of the bowl carefully after serving from it. Filling individual bowls requires skill, keeping the inside rim of the bowl free of dribbles from poi set before the diner A mo'olelo tells of the mana of Hāloa: "Ke hō'ole mai nei 'o Hāloa" translates to

"Hāloa denies that." It was said that whenever business is discussed before an open poi bowl, it is denied

by Hāloa. If a medical kahuna is called upon while eating poi, it is a sign that he is not the person to treat the sick one. However, if called to a death bed while eating, he is able to treat the illness, for Hāloa will deny death. In the old days, poi was near the pa'i'ai stage when purchased. It was thick, and mixing it with water was absolutely neeessarv. Familv and friends

enjoy the sweet poi of those who have "good mixing hands." Others cause the poi to sour quickly. I was taught that either adding too mueh water at onee, or not mixing thoroughly between additions of water, ruined the quality of mixed poi. Anyone used to eating poi notices the consistency of commercially available

poi. It is more like pudding and lacks the characteristic elasticity that makes it cling to fingers when

eaten in the traditional manner. The dip of two fingers into a bowl with the deft swirling of the wrist no longer captures a mouthful of poi. Have you ever wondered about that? The traditional eonsistency of poi is lost; it is more watery ffom electric mixing. In fact, some eat it without adding any additional water. With na'i'ai noi. it is

best to mix small quantities at a time, adding water little by little and mixing thoroughly before adding more. Mixing requires several minutes of ho'owali'ai, turning the poi over in the bowl and beating it up against the side of the bowl, over and over again. This process is similar to kneading bread dough and develops the characteristic

"Taro is no longer grown in the uplands. Freeways, houses and condominiums have replaced the lo'i

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