The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1893-04-26
{Canclgdei.l
FOUNDING THE KALo.


When the kalo is taken from the
oven 1t is found 20 be changed to a
light farinaeeous substance reSem-
bling somewhat a dry mealy potato.
II is stripped by hand of its outer skin
ard then seraped clean with piece of
broken calsbash ( pohWe), or opihi or
wi shell. The operation of cleaning
the kalo is aoopoie, or BsGihi. The
refuse, or stuff scraped off is pdhe.
Having cleaned q sufficient quantity,
it is placed on an oblong wooden tray
or trough. slightly followed out in
the middle. Papa kui poi, or poi
pounding boards, are made of koa,
shakea or ulu (breadiruit). One man,
or better perhaps say two men,
stripped naked except the Raulo, seat
themselves on the ground one MT each
end of the board, and grasping lava
stone. pestle shaped, not unlike a
druggists peStle, they proceed 10
thump and pound away at the kalo
on the board in front of them. As the
operation proceeds little water from
time to time is added TO the mass, so
as to he'll, the. softening and mixing
process. IT IL very hard work, especi-
ally in this tropical climate, and by
the time that the kalo is well mashed
the workmen are usually in state of
violent perspiration. 1t is after hay
ing seen this mode of preparing poi
that white people as rule turn away
in disgust and will not touch the
stuff.
Having been sufficiently pounded
(Eui, or kiHl0l with the pestle, it is
then kneeded like bakers dough, with
the hands (poel. 1t is then poi-the
finished article, and ready for cold
consumption. Poi, as is well known,
is the chief food of the Hawaiians,
and it is also used 10 certain degree
in the South Sea Islands. The MaOris
of New Zealand, who are so closely
connected TO the Hawaiians, do not
appear 10 have ever cultivated the
kalo root, their chief vegetable food
having been the kumara, or sweet pO-
tato, and the edible fern root.
In addition TO the stone implement,
or pohakm Elsf poi, shaped like a
druggists pestle, there is another kind
ofpestle fashioned like stirrup iron
pohdklG DuEd), which was peculiar
20 Kauai. 4 variety Of this Kauai
kind is sometimes met with. It varies
from The usual pattern in not having
the centre part pierced through, but
only slightly scooped out on one side,
50 as to allow it TO be grasped by the
fingers. These poi Founders. or pes
ties, were also used for pounding salt,
medicinal herbs roots etc
Besides the pounding process above
described the cooked kalo was some
times grated on slab Of lava papa
sDifi al, or papa T1ohnEa).
II not required for immediate con-
sumption the kalo is mashed on the
board, but without the addition Of
water, or at any rate OF very little
water. in this form IL Is termed pal
nj, and will keep for a considerable
number of weeks, OF even months, ii
very hard and well wrapped up in
l0uki, or fl leaves. In this shape ii
was supplied TO the whalers touching
at the islands, for consumption By
their native crews, and paiai IL, Oh
rather was, taken TO sea by native
fishermen in their canoes when going
off on fishing expedition. Ellis, in
his Tour Round Hawaii, mentions pai-
al as one OF the articles sold at the So
called Fair held in olden times on the
banks of the WaiIuku river, near
Hilo.
Pol CALABAsHEs.
After the process OF mashing IL
finished, the poi is transferred 10 Gala
basbes made out 81 gOurd or 81
wood. The Hawaiian name for q poi
calahash is uBaeke poi. The g0urd
used as a container l. the front Of the
ipn otC0dl0d (cuncubita maximay 3,
and a calabash Of this kind is called
a UnaeEe pobUe. In size they range
from few inches in diameter up q
several feet. These gourds are alse
used as water bottles, hula drums
etc, and were often gracefully orna.
mented with eolored designs.
The wooden calabashes are made
chiefly from kou lcordia subcordatag :
koa acacia koa), olomea lPerottetis
Sandwieensis), milo lthespesia popul
nea). For holding weeks supply d
for use in large household, some o
tbess wooden caIabasheg were very
large, and would hold close on fifteef
gallons. The average ealaoasb, how
ever, was much smaller. They ar.
Sr5t tdsllT EGBslcDlDS pAcStSS 1A NDtk-
rnanship, and In shape and finish ar
hardly To he excsIIed by modern
Inaehine-tnrned articles Of the same
description.
Not only the size, but the ehaIse o
the wooden calabasfles varies. Ont
pattern IL greater In height thar
width and l. narrower al the top thar
nearer the bottom. IL IL styled unek'
ktsoh0, whilst the broad and shaI
lower design IL classified az nnaeks
poEnk0. 4 calabash fall of poi ol
other kind Of food f. 80.
The calabasheS have often eoyei
called "poi.n and have likewise nsa
network Of strings made VI oI0ni
itonchardia IatifoliSl and eoc9anui
h0re. This netting wac used III sus
ending the calabash 70 the r0Ji u tf:
mouse or 70 the oIeote, q board set on /;
post and made especially for the pur
pose Of hanging containers OF. Tht
name E. n ~ the cAlabasis netting 1
soEo ol !, okO 11,t,pftu, hut the ancieu
deSignation IL said 20 have been nq0D
toh0.
gATIgG POf.
when about % eat poi, thu bette
eiasses of natives used finger-boTls
pat7dt hoJof lima, both Before am
aIeef eating. II is needless " add tIia
'p'ons, knives and forks were c0nspi