The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1910-01-28
POI IN HAWAII.
This Peculiar Food Is TO the Native a.
Bread is TO Us.

Bread is to Us.
What bread is to the American or
European poi is to the native Ha-
waiian. No meal is complete with
out it, and for tie great majority
of the natives il forms the princi-
pal article Of diet. While they prob
ably could at the present time live
without this accustomed dish, the
time once was, before the advent Of
the whites to the islands and the in
PRODUCTION of new foods, that life
without it would at least have been
precarious.
Poi is made from the tuberous
root Of the taro plant, a species of
the caladium family, Of which the
well known elephant ear plant is
also a member. The tuber, which
averages in size that of a large
sweet potato, is baked and after
ward pounded up with water until a
smooth white paste Is obtained,
much resembling a wheat -four
paste, except that the color is a
pale pink or purple, dependent
upon the variety Of taro used. This
paste is allowed to slightly ferment,
or sour, when it is ready for use.
In olden times each family prepared
its own poi, the work being done by
the men, as in fact were most other
cooking operations. At the present
time poi factories in which machin-
cry grinds the taro and mixes it on
a large scale have largely supplant-
ed the old hand method. The Chi
nese of the territory have come TO
be the leading manufacturers of the
product.
Many Of the white residents of
the islands eat poi to almost the ex-
tent as the natives, but the taste is
largely acquired, and strangers sell
dom care for it. Poi has a high
food value, and, since it formed the
principal article of diet Of the old
Hawaiians, some persons have cred
tied it with the splendid physical
development of the race.
Poi was always eaten from wood
en- bowls, or calabashes, and was
conveyed to the mouth by the fin
gers, one, two or three being en-
ployed, according to the consistency
of the food, which also establishes
a designation Of one, two or three
finger poi. White poi eaters now
usually employ a fork or spoon in
lieu of fingers, although it is still
common even in the highest fami-
lies to give native dinners, or luaus.
at which knives and forks are ta-
booed and fingers only used. There
is as much etiquette among the Hs-
waiians in eating with the fingers as
with modern table implements, ana
the graceful motion by which por-
ton Of poi is twisted upon the fin
gers and transferred to the mouth
would not shock the senslbilitles OF
the most refined. An invitation to
a real luau, at which poi, baked pig,
fish baked in leaves and cocoanut IN
various forms form the principal
part of the menu, is something that
is always looked forward to by every
visitor to Hawaii and always pleas
antly remembered afterward.
Bruce's Mother.
The inspector was examining
standard /, and all the class had
been specially told beforehand by
their master, "Don't answer unless
you are almost certain your answer
is correct
History was the subject.
'sNow, tell me-" said the inspect
or, "who was the mother of our
great Scottish hero, Robert Bruce 2"
He pointed to the top boy, then
around the class. There was no
answer. Then at last the heart of
the teacher of that class leaped with
Joy. The boy who was standing at
the very foot had held up his hand.
"Well," my boy" said the in
spector encouragingly, "who was
she 2"