The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-05-02

fishermen in their canoes when going
of on q fishing expedition. Ellis, in
his Tour Round Hawaii, mentions PAL
al as one Of the articles sold at the So
called Fair held in olden times on the
banks of the Waikiki river, near
Hilo.
Pol CALABASHES.
After the process of MASKING is
finished, the poi is transferred 10 Gala
bashes made out of a gOurd or OF
wood. The Hawaiian name for poi
calabash is uHleke poi. The gourd
used rs q container is the front of the
ipu dtgddWd (curcubita maXimal,
and calabash of this kind is called
UHCke pOhuG. In size they range
from few inches in diameter up to
several feet. These gourds are also
used as water bottles, hula drums,
etc, and were often gracefully orna-
mented with colored designs.
The wooden calabashes are made
chiefly from kou (cordia subcordatal,
koa acacia koa), olomea (Perottetia
Sandwicensis), milo (thespesia popul-
neal. For holding q weeks supply or
for use in a large household, some of
these wooden calabashes were very
large, and would hold close on fifteen
gallons. The average calabash, how
ever, was much smaller. They are
certainly handsome pieces of work
manship, and in shape and finish are
hardly to be excelled by modern
machine turned articles of the same
description.
Not only the size, but the shape of
the wooden calabashes varies. One
pattern is greater in height than
width and is narrower at the top than
nearer the bottom. 1t is styled uBlGke
Euoho, whilst the broad and shall
lower design is classified as umCk6
Ddkdkd. \ calabash full Of poi or
other kind of food is co.
The calabashes have often cover
called "poi," and have likewise a neat
network of strings made of olona
ttonehardia latifOlia) and cOcOanut
fibre. This netting was used in sus-
pending the calabash TO the roof of the
house or to the OleOLe, a board set on n
post and made especially for the pur-
pose of hanging containers on. The
name given to the calabash netting is
EOko or kOEO pmtpuu, but the ancient
designation is said to have been mao
lOhd.
EATING POI.
When about to eat poi, the better
classes OF natives used finger bowls,
Dd1Cdi hOlOi lima, both before and
after eating. 1t is needless to add that
spoons, knives and forks were conspi-
cuous by their absence from the meals
of the Hawaiians, the poi being eaten
by thrusting the first or first and sec
ond fingers into the poi and after col
lecting a sufficient quantity of the
fingers, with rapid twirl the hand is
withdrawn, and by n deXtrous move
ment, which requires practice on the
part of the performer, the hand with
its burden is conveyed to the mouth
where the poi is sucked off with a
smacking sound of the lips, indicative
of the great gusto with which it is
consumed. According to the consist
ency of the paste, whether thick OF
thin, poi has humorOusly been classed
into Zone finger poi" and 1.-TWO finger
poi.r As is the case with the China
man and Jap and their rice, the Ha-
waiian generally desires to have some
accompaniment or relish to eat along
with his poi. This may be raw fish,
or bit of pork, or indmORd, a species
of Hawaiian chutney made from
roasted kukui nuts, pounded and
mixed with salt. Seaweed or Linlu
and shellfish of different kinds are also
favorite side dishes.
Seeing that poi fills such an inn
pOrtant part in the Hawaiian's daily
bill. of-fare, it is only TO be expected
that he should be a cOnnoisseur in
regard to the taste and color, ETC., OF
the national dish. If it is at all lumpy
it is Duupult ; if imperfectly pounded
and the poi is full of small pieces of
the fibrous part of the tuber, it is
declared to be OHCOHe. If too coarse,
and not well worked up after pound
ing, it is mdbumdbU; and if made
from diseased or inferior kalO, it is
said to be H3OEdekGC, and so on.
White folks who sometimes, for a
change, indulge in little poi, prefer
it when it is fresh, but the natives
like it to be somewhat sour or fer
mented, and some even have a strong
partiality for very sour poi, or poi
aka. In the sour condition, it is said
to 90 high +" with raw fish
The time when the fermenting or
s0uring process begins varies greatly
with the amount of water worked into
the kalO; the more water there is in
the poi the quicker it becomes sour,
but, on an average, poi will COM
nence to ferment and swell up
within twenty-four hours or so after
being made. In a weeks time or less
it gets too sour even for the native
stomach to digest. From a food point
of view, poi seems to be a good fat
former, judging by the huge, unwieldy
figures of the ancient chiefesses; but
it does not seem to give much stamina
or grit to the native constitution.
OTHER USES FOR KALo.
The kalo, when boiled or baked, is
cut into slices and served as a veget-
able. In this form it is appreciated
by foreigners, being dry and mealy.
Taro or kalo cakes made out of cooked
kalo pounded and then fried is also
favorite dish on the tables of white
fnll-a