Sentence:  It was a far cry from the traditional Hawaiian feast, which always included the beloved <WSD>"poi</WSD>", a purplish paste made from pounded taro root […]. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The traditional staple food of Hawaii, made by baking and pounding the kalo (or taro) root, and reducing it to a thin paste, which is allowed to ferment. (from 18th c.)