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Unfortunately, the above creative headline was not penned by this writer. "Poi to the World" was the company motto of Craig Walsh’s now defunct Hawaiian company called the Poi Company which made poi and other poi products.
Let’s back up a minute and discuss poi. What is poi?
Poi is known as the soul food of Hawaii. Poi is made from taro, which is also called kalo.
You may be more familiar with taro chips which are the purple chips located in your potato chip aisle at the grocery store.
Taro is eaten all over the world, however only Hawaiians eat and make poi. Poi is the result of taro being cooked, smashed and mixed with water.
Poi is a staple in the Hawaiian diet and poi is eaten with our fingers. Hence the names one-finger, two-finger or three-finger poi. The most revered type of poi is the two-finger poi.
The names refer to the consistency of the poi. Poi looks like purple pudding. Think of poi as the vegetable or rice serving on your dinner plate. Generally, poi is served with breadfruit, a fish or pork, and seaweed.
Babies and the elderly eat poi for its high nutritional value and to ease digestion.
Historians believe poi was brought to the Hawaiian Islands by early Polynesian settlers. During their long, dangerous journey, these settlers transported and lived on taro when they paddled to the Islands.
It is believed ancient Hawaiians consumed five to 15 pounds of poi per day. That is a lot of poi!
Poi is considered sacred and when a bowl of poi was presented, all dinner table arguments must come to an instant halt.
Now, the magical nutritional value of poi. Poi is:
• Hypoallergenic
• Rich in calcium
• Rich in potassium
• Rich in phosphorus
• Rich in magnesium
• A good source of B vitamins
• A good source of vitamins A and C
• A beneficial carbohydrate food which is high in fiber
• A slow-release energy food source
• Used to settle the stomach
• Mixed with ripe noni fruit and applied topically for boils
• Mixed with pia (arrowroot starch) and taken for diarrhea
• Used undiluted poi as a poultice on infected sores
This HERWriter sampled poi with her fingers. In all honesty, it really didn’t have much of a taste. It was bland.
Here on the Islands, someone told me she added sugar to her poi. I may give this type of poi a whirl in the next few weeks.
Aloha!
References:
Canoe Plants of Ancient Hawai`i: KALO. CANOE PLANTS OF ANCIENT HAWAII. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://www.canoeplants.com/kalo.html
Kubota, G. T. Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News. Hawaii Archives - Honolulu Star-Bulletin Archives - Starbulletin.com - archives.starbulletin.com . Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://archives.starbulletin.com/2002/07/07/news/story2.html
Poi - The Ancient "New" Superfood. Poi to the World - Information About Hawaiian Poi. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://www.poico.com/artman/publish/article_73.php
Taro Root the building block of a culture: Past and Present. Hawaii Big Island Information Guide, From Recreation to Destinations . Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://www.bigisland-bigisland.com/Taro-Root.html
Taro, Gift Of The Ancient Gods. Coffee Times - 100% Pure Kona Coffee. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://www.coffeetimes.com/taro.htm
What's There to Know About Poi? Poi to the World - Information About Hawaiian Poi. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://www.poico.com/artman/publish/article_4.php
Yuen, L. Taro: Hawaii's Roots. EarthFoot small-scale Ecotours/accomodations/Homestays. Retrieved March 28, 2012, from
http://www.earthfoot.org/lit_zone/taro.htm
Reviewed March 28, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith
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