The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-15
TAR0.

l do not intend to enter into a
disquisition on taro or POI, but
would like to reiterate some things
about taro which the subject will
stand.
1t is an old saying in Hawaii nei
that forty square feet of taro patch
will maintain a man. He cuts the
roots eff and plants the tops which
again produce roots. Although it
grows prolifcally in patches sub
merged III water, it grows equally
well on the uplands. Those accus-
toned to upland taro prefer it to
that grown in water. Formerly
the raising of taro ard manutac-
turing it into poi for home or mar
ket was entirely confined to the
natives. Today the Chinese have
encroached on even the native in
dustries to such an extent that they
cultivate the majority Of this staff
of life and sell it from door to door,
either as taro for the housewife or
as poi to the native.
1t is one of the best foodstulf5
known to the human race, and one
which produces more to the acre
than bananas.
There has been no systematic
attempt to find a market for IL
abroad. Lying, as Honolulu does,
within a weeks sal; of the Coast,
there is no doubt if a company
should initiate the trade a large
demand for taro would be found on
the Pacific Slope. It would take
some capital, advertising and push,
but success would be sure to crown
the effort.
/ know that taro has been dried,
cooked and converted into -four
and somewhat advertised, but
systematic ''from door to door can
vas" has not been made to intro
duce it in the United States. [ am
thoroughly posted in the uses of
the taro -four and know from ex-
perience that [ can sell it,
as | have done, in every
instance where 1 tried. 1t
is one of the simplest diets
and at the same time one of the
most wholesome. For aged peo-
pie or infants it cannot be excelled
as food. For the dyspeptic it is
a god-send. 1t is remarkable that
even at home here where it can be
had at from one-half to one cent
per pound, people will overlook it
and spend their money at from six
to fifteen cents per pound for
breakfast cereals which do not
approach taro in healthfulness or
satisfaction. Taro -four, of course,
is more expensive than the raw as
It takes four pounds of the latter
to make one of the former and re-
quires expensive machinery, coal
and labor. But | contend that
taro -four at ten cents per pound is
infinitely cheaper than coarse
indigestible oatmeal at six and a
half cents. The Taro Flour Com
pany have endeavored to procure
recipes for preparing the -four for
the table and have with what aid
cooks have lent them obtained
quite a number but its uses are yet
in embryo.
Mr.. Bailey, the manufacturer of
the -four, wrote to me suggesting it
as a drink and asked me for a
name for the drink. | tried several
with it and to all whom
[ offered it, it proved palatable.
What has been done in that line
here l do not know, but 1 will give
my word for it if the reader will
try it as [ tell him, and when, he
Will thank ne for the advice. When
the noon time comes and you have
walked home and are so warm that |
it is both cruel and distasteful to
the stomach to eat even the most
deliciously cooked dinner, that is
,CheH. Take a tablespoonful of |
cooked taro flour, as you buy it,
add a tumb bier OF water, three or !
four drops of essence of lemon, a
spoonful of sugar, mix thoroughly |
now add p tum bier of milk and sip |
the beverage. If you do not say
'ahalaia" when the satisfied, crate
full feeling which follows comes
over you, it is because you are not
acquainted with the word. In this
form it is very digestible and fat
.ening. And this is not paid adj
7ertisement for taro -four.
JAS W. GIRVIN.