Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 8, 1 August 1998 — Hawaiian ingenuity -- then and now [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hawaiian ingenuity -- then and now

By Claire Hughes, Nutritionist Hawai'i Department Of Health

I AWAILANS HAVE a long history of innovaI tion. The Hawaiian mind was analytical, always searching for better ways to do things. I Our ancestors constantly improved and perfect I ed their skills in kapa making, weaving, eanoe building and making implements for fishing and agriculture, to name a few. Hawaiian kapa was know as thebestinallofPolynesia. It was finest in texture and the softest. The designs were not block printed, but carefully hand drawn with bamboo styluses and pattem-making implements. These sophisticated designs ran over the entire fabric, mueh like modern printed cloth. Hawaiian weaving was also among the best in the Pacific.

Our ancestors experimented and made improvements to techniques in all aspects of their lives. That included the variety and quahty of plants they grew. Their agricultural experiments produced scores of kalo and 'uala varieties from the few plants that were carried to Hawai'i. Tme to these traits and skills of his ancestors, 'Aimoku Meaellan, owner of The Poi Company, has developed new ideas to make kalo products more readily available. The company's motto is "Poi to the World" and it encompasses the expectation of making poi available worldwide through increased cultivation, innovative processing methods and creative packaging. Although poi is exclusively Hawaiian, more kalo is eonsumed in China and Cuba than in Hawai 'i today and Africa is a leading exporter of taro. At a June press conference, 'Aimoku, with the assistance of friends and colleagues from the food industry, presented a variety of new products featuring poi as the major ingredient. A poi wheat bread by Terry Shin- ' tani was moist, dense and tasty. Alan Wong's poi stew was a savory, hearty tomato-based delight. Unele Lani Na'auao served deep fat-fried morsels of his 'ono poi moehi. Imagine mouth watering poi iee cream, muffins, loaf eake and cocktail. Tmly 'ono, innovative creations for all occasions and palates. 'Aimoku provided the following kalo facts. Written records dating back to 1 00 B.C. document kalo as one of the oldest cultivated crops. High in vitamins and fiber and virtually fat and allergen-free, kalo is easily digested by infants and elderly alike. It is a staple in Polynesia, Asia, the West Indies and Caribbean. Considering that Hawaiians invented poi, it is a sad statistic today that in all of Hawai'i only 400 acres remain in kalo cultivation, of whieh 300 are planted in poi kalo. Small wonder then that demand outstrips supply. When poi is plentiful, it ean easily be ffozen and stored up to six months. To defrost, remove the poi from the bag, plaee it in a non-metal bowl inside a steamer or double boiler over boiling water and deffost for about eight minutes per pound, stirring occasionally. Pour the poi into a large mixing bowl. Add half a eup of iee cubes and stir until the iee is melted, adding eool water to achieve the desired consistency. Our ances- J tors developed and embraced new technology and if you want to • microwave, lightly cover the frozen poi in a microwave container, defrost at 50 percent power for five minutes at a time, stirring occasionally, until the poi is smooth. Then pour it into a large mixing bowl and add the iee cubes and eool water as already described to achieve desired consistency. Our ancestors developed improved types of kalo plants. 'Aimoku is developing and perfecting innovative ways to get sufficient quantities of ' kalo and poi to the tables of those who love this Hawaiian staple. Kalois , a gift of the gods for whieh we are gratefiil. ■

N u t r i t i o Wf )

Master chef Alan Wong serves and nutrition expert Claire Hughes savors an ingenious poi stew at the Pacific Club.

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