1 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: So when people eat Hawaian food, I always say that 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: the most culturally significant dish is going to be the POI, 3 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: But from any other perspective, it's probably the most unappealing. Hello, 4 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: and welcome to Savor protiction of I heeart Ay and 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: stuff Media. I'm Any Rees and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and 6 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: today we're talking about POI. Yes, that clip from the 7 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: top was from third generation restaurant owner Monica to Gucci 8 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: Ryan of Highway in on Oahu, and um, yeah, that 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: that quote sort of captures the difficulty that exists in 10 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: explaining POI to people who are unfamiliar with it. Yes, 11 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: and that is something I was totally unfamiliar with POI 12 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: until we started planning our trip and we were workshopping 13 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: possible topic ideas and POI was one that came up 14 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: up and something I was like, what is that? And 15 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: before we left, we picked the brain of our friend Louisa, 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: who was from ahwah who's North Shore, and when we 17 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: asked her about BOI, she was kind of vague about it, 18 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: pretty much like you're just gonna have to go and 19 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: try it to understand, and we were eager to do that. 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: So We sat it out at Helena's, a restaurant well 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: known for traditional Hawaiian dishes, and we spoke about this 22 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: experience when we got back to our studio here in Atlanta. 23 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: We went to Helena's right, Yes, our first boy, which 24 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: this is a very famous Hawaiian restaurant. Yes, very small, 25 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: very small. The waitress was very patient and a little 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: bit like very patient. I think she guided us and 27 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: we needed guidance. We did. I love when we were 28 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,919 Speaker 1: like boy all around her, she was like, nope, one, 29 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: then we can see we can go from there. You 30 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: just immediately was like nope, nope. That I was like, 31 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: you seem just tired enough. You're going to be real 32 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: real with us. Yes. And the food was delicious. Oh yeah, 33 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, it was so delicious. Oh yeah. We 34 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: also had poi at the Wyre Hole, a Poi factory, 35 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: which is a restaurant that offers poi demonstrations and it 36 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: was amazing. And we had a poor donut somewhere at 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: Lily Ho Bakery. Yes, it's one of the very few 38 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: donuts that we actually got to eat from our first 39 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: round of lily Ha before we sadly left a bag 40 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: in a makeshift production studio. Yes, but Lauren and I 41 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: rectified that later, never fear. But okay, that about brings 42 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: us to our question, boy, what is it? Well? POI 43 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: is a preparation of steamed taro roots that's pounded out 44 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: either by hand or by machine with a bit of 45 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: her until it's this sticky mash or sort of paste 46 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: or sort of putting um, which is then allowed to 47 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: ferment either a little or a lot traditionally with just 48 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: whatever local microbes are floating around, which like in yogurt, 49 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: wind up being mostly lactic acid bacteria, until this product 50 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: is thick and almost doughy and a little or a 51 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: lot tart. It's often a grayish purple in color because 52 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: terror root is often purple, and it's served as a 53 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: starch or or as the starch in Hawaiian meals meant 54 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: to be taken either together in between bites with with 55 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: the proteins and vegetables that you're eating, and it reminds 56 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: me of um. Okay, so the flavor is sort of 57 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: like a like a mild or sour dough bread, like 58 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: slightly sweet and slightly creamy, but with this twinge of 59 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: sourness and the more sour that POI is, the more 60 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: that it can balance the sweetness and the richness and 61 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: saltiness of vegetables and meat and the texture. The texture 62 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: is really individual in my experience. Um, I guess it's 63 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: almost sort of like a like a only or a 64 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: cake batter um, or if you've ever had mochi served warm, 65 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: or like if you have a rice dish with a 66 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: poached egg and you stir the yolk of the poached 67 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: egg into the rice. Um, but like smoother than that. Yeah, 68 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 1: I will say. For me, it had kind of been 69 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: built up because of our friend Louisa, and I had 70 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: no idea what it even looked like. So when it 71 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: appeared on the table, I thought it was gonna be 72 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: um sweet and don't write in angrily. But I thought 73 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: it was kind of anticlimactic. I thought it was going 74 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: to be like something to punch you in the real weird, 75 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: like so strange, because I mean, yeah, like like we 76 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: said in that clip, like the waitress was like, I'm 77 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: not giving you that much boy, your yeah exactly. So 78 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: I thought it was going to be something that was 79 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 1: clearly like a very strong like an acquired taste, like 80 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: like Nato or something like that, right, And I I 81 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: can see how it is or how some people would 82 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:00,840 Speaker 1: describe it that way. To me, it was just kind 83 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: of like, oh, yeah, that's good. Yeah, okay, yeah, I 84 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: like this. Um, And we didn't, or at least I 85 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: didn't really know the best way to eat it, so 86 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: I was mixing it with other things, and I thought 87 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: it did complement those other things very well. But from 88 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: what I read doing the research for this episode, uh, 89 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: it's often meant to just be scooped with your fingers. Yeah, 90 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: and um, the consistency is in fact judged by how 91 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 1: many fingers you'll need to scoop it one, two or three? Yeah, 92 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: how how liquidy it is? Right, A good three finger 93 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: scoop would be the most liquidy preparation of the boy exactly. Yeah. Um. 94 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: But let's back up a tiny bit and talk about 95 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: tarot um, which we'll have to do a whole episode 96 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: about at some point because it is fun and fascinating, 97 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: one of my favorite dessert flavors, and um is really 98 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,799 Speaker 1: big in many dishes all of the world. But h yeah. 99 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: In brief, the tarot plant is a tropical or sometimes 100 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: subtropical vegetable that's grown for its greens and for its 101 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: storage roots UM, which are these these star cheat tubers 102 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: also called corms. Yes, I love that word form to 103 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: corm oh gosh. Anyway, yeah yeah. The plant grows these 104 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: storage roots UM so that it can survive through difficult 105 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: conditions like drought or storms and uh as you know 106 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: side benefit, humans can eat those storage roots too. Yep. 107 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: It's grown and used again in dishes all over the world, UM, 108 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: with concentrations in Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Hawaiian word 109 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: for tarot is colo, and although pounded and fermented tarot 110 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: products have been developed in other Polynesian cultures and in 111 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: western Central Africa, I don't think that any of those 112 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: ever developed into like a like a primary staple um 113 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: the way that they did in Hawaii. Yes, and poi 114 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: and taro are hugely important in Hawaii historically and modern ly. 115 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,559 Speaker 1: Until the nineteen twenties and the construction of the Alaway Canal, 116 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: the area that is now waiki Ki was covered in 117 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: taro field. About the tero grown on the neighboring islands 118 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: of Maui, Kawaii, and Hawaii are shipped to Hawaii, and 119 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: all but three percent of that is turned into poi. Yeah, 120 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: you can find poi and all kinds of things, point crackers, 121 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: point muffins, point cheesecake, poi bread, poyt dog biscuits. Here's 122 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: Kioloa Domingo, who describes himself as a cultural practitioner who 123 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: cooks for us in Hawaii, for Hawaiians in general, the 124 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: Hawaiian people, I should see. Of course, you said you 125 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: tried the point that tarot is is the the number 126 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: one crop for us. It's our sustenance, it's ours, our 127 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: staple food. And okay um I sort of skipped a 128 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: step in the making of poi when you're when you're 129 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: specifically hand pounding the tarot in the traditional method with 130 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 1: a stone on a wooden board with an absolute minimum 131 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 1: of water, and is to get the taro to the 132 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: right texture, to to smooth it and develop that stickiness 133 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: by working the starch molecules. That the result of that 134 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: is this undeluded paste called patty i that is much 135 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: thicker than than a one finger poi um um and 136 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: it is very very shelf stable. Here's Monica again. And 137 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: the thing about it is, I think you know within 138 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: the Pacific and even Southeast Asia, taro is used throughout 139 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: Southeast Asia and through the Pacific. What is really I 140 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: think you need to Hawaiian culture is the fact that 141 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: they pound the taro, so we say coot e i 142 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: and then it turns into what we call putt e i. 143 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,679 Speaker 1: So put ei is it's very use only enough water 144 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: to be able to pound the poi or pound the tower. 145 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, And then you get it into this form 146 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: called put e i and you wrap it in in 147 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,439 Speaker 1: tea leave to keep it fresh, and once you're ready 148 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: to actually you know, eat it and share. Hawaiian's is 149 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: a culture, very generous, generous culture. You add the poi 150 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: so you can stretch the colo, you can stretch the 151 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: taro and share it with other people. But also, like 152 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: we spoke about earlier, is that it it has a 153 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: very healthy aspect to a product where the fermentation process occurs. 154 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: So poi is potti i that's been diluted with water. 155 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: And depending on your preference, and yeah, how much putty 156 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: i you have to go around, you might dilute it 157 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: a little or a lot. And also, as I was 158 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: saying before, um it's sort of the same with how 159 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: long you let it ferment. It's to taste but also, 160 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, like it's a lot of work 161 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 1: to make a batch. So if you make a bunch, 162 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: then the poi you eat on the first day is 163 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: not going to be as sour as the poi that 164 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: you eat on the fifth day. Um, because what's going 165 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: on when you make patty i and poi is um. 166 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: All Right, it's time once again to talk about fermentation 167 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: and yes, back teria food what because fermentation is um 168 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: is controlled spoilage through microorganisms. And when we say that 169 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: food is spoiled, we mean that microbes have eaten it 170 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: before we got the chance to. And when you're talking 171 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: about that like sad celery that's kind of liquefying in 172 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 1: the bottom of your fridge, um that might involve funguses 173 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: or bacteria that will eat that celery and poop compounds 174 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: with unpleasant flavors or maybe that are even pathogenic, meaning 175 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: that they could make you sick. But implementation, humans set 176 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: up situations where we let helpful bacteria eat some of 177 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: our food and poop flavor that we like um and 178 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: also keep pathogenic bacteria from growing and also often help 179 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: break down or or pre process if you want to 180 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: think about it that way. That the food so that 181 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: our bodies can do more with the food more efficiently. 182 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: So take tarot um. If you steam these roots, they're 183 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: they're mostly carbohydrates as starches and dietary fiber along with 184 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,440 Speaker 1: a little bit of protein and fat and healthy smattering 185 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 1: of minerals and vitamins. Um. The process of pounding it 186 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 1: out into patty eye and then poi reduces the dietary fiber, 187 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: but makes all those carbs more easily digestible and ups 188 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 1: the vitamin and mineral content of the finished product. It's 189 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 1: just really a very smart way of getting the most 190 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: out of the taro root. And the sound that you 191 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: just heard there was of poi being pounded with the 192 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: traditional tools by performers at the Polynesian Cultural Center on 193 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: Oahu and Uh. The PCC isn't without its weirdness. Is 194 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: at any time that you're performing aspects of indigenous cultures 195 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: from mass audiences, you know it's it's delicate territory um. 196 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: But we are so grateful that we got to attend 197 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: the food demonstrations there. For visitors unfamiliar with poi and patyi, 198 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: it might be something that they shy away from, but 199 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: that's a mistake. Don't do it. No, and don't just 200 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: take our word for it. Take Kyle Ruttner's the brand 201 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: manager and minority partner in Kohana Ram. The epiphany food 202 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 1: is potti i, which is essentially like the precursor to poi. 203 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: For lack of a better way, so pounded taro root 204 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: and then you would take it and you could griddle 205 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: it and and make it sort of like caramelized and 206 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 1: sweet on the outside and still have this like crazy 207 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: sustenance and it's purple and super weird. And every you know, 208 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: Hollie person is supposed to hate poi and all this, 209 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: and it's like this, it's it's perfection. And honestly, it's 210 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: like that dish. I would have to say, is is quintessential? 211 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: Like it is? If I could tell somebody to have 212 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: one thing while they were here, I would be like, 213 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 1: you have to find great boy like even like sour. 214 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: Point of course, companies found a way to mechanize the 215 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: traditional process of making poi and you can go find 216 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 1: plastic bags are tubs of poi and grocery stores for 217 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: around three dollars. Around Hawaii, forty years ago, poi production 218 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: on a wah who was double what it is today, 219 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: and the yearly per capital consumption was about thirty pounds 220 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,719 Speaker 1: or thirteen kilos. In the nineteen eighties that number was 221 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:55,319 Speaker 1: closer to five pounds are two and a quarter kilos. 222 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: But there was a time when daily per capital consumption 223 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: might have been just about that much. And we will 224 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: get into the history of Poi, but first we've got 225 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: to take a quick break for a word from our sponsor, 226 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you sponsored, Yes, thank you, Okay. 227 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 1: The terror plant is one of the world's oldest cultivated 228 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: crops as early as five thousand BC. Historians think it 229 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: most likely originated somewhere in Southeast Asia, where it's spread 230 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: throughout the rest of the continent to Europe, Africa, and 231 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: the Pacific Islands. When the Polynesians made the long journey 232 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: to Hawaii, the tarot plant was key in sustaining them 233 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: both on their voyage and once they arrived. Because pie 234 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: E I keeps so well, some researchers think that those 235 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: first settlers prepared it to eat on the trip sor 236 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: to like an ancient conrola bar. Either way, tarot is 237 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: one of the island's oldest crops. It's sometimes called a 238 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: canoe plant because it was bought over on those first canoes. 239 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: And there's a Hawaiian myth about tarot Um that the 240 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: terror route was the first child of the sky father Waukea, 241 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: and Godda says she, she who gives birth to the 242 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:16,599 Speaker 1: stars um Ho Ho Kulani. And this child, Halloa was 243 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: was still born, and so they buried him in the earth, 244 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: and from his grave Calo or Taro grew um. Their 245 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: second child was the first Hawaiian man, and he was 246 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: tasked with with caring for his brother, the Tarot plant. 247 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: For a long time, only men were permitted to to 248 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: handle Calo. It was considered their sacred duty. And so yeah, 249 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: that makes that makes Tarot calo Um the original ancestor 250 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: of native Hawaiians. By the smith, here's Kioloha again. The 251 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: Hawaiian people, we truly did worship our food. We view 252 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: our food as a physical manifestation of our ancestral deities 253 00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: and traditional gods. You know, the Tarot planet itself, that's 254 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: for us, you know. I'll tell you the truth. In 255 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: my day, I grew up eating poi out of a 256 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: plastic bag, and I'm totally fine with that. But as 257 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: time went on, you know, I learned more about traditional 258 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: history and culture and beliefs. And with this cultural renaissance, 259 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: we're teaching our children what we've learned from the history books, 260 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: that Carol is our ancestor. The tarot plant is literally 261 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: related to us. Yeah, we're descending from entire plants. So 262 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: we treat it as as our elder brother, as our 263 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: as our ancestor, as our copuna. And when the tarot 264 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: is on the table, whether in the form of bowl 265 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: of poi or whatever else it is, we behave accordingly. 266 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: You wouldn't speak harshly over it. You wouldn't be scolding 267 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: the kids. You wouldn't be saying, you know, how terrible 268 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: what day you had. That really lends through that whole family, 269 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: that positive vibe. You know, when you're around food, it's 270 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 1: about being grateful for what you have and about sustenance 271 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: and about you know, so I always say, we Hawaiians, 272 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: we love our food. We love our food. So it's 273 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: not just about sticking into your mouth and and enjoying 274 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: the flavor, you know, which, don't get me wrong, you know, 275 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: it's um definitely something that I love. But just the 276 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 1: fact that when you consume this food, it's really partaking 277 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: of the gods. Even the Hawaiian word ohanna meaning family, 278 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: as we all learned in lie Loan, stench um derives 279 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: from the word oha, which is the Hawaiian word forum 280 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: for the shoots that grow off of the main bulb 281 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: of a taro root, which are the parts that are 282 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: harvested while that main root is allowed to keep growing. 283 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: So ahna literally means something like um all from the shoots. 284 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: It wasn't appreciated nearly as much by the Europeans who 285 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 1: colonized the islands. James Cook called poi quote a disagreeable 286 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: mess from its sourness. Post contact, the arrival of immigrants 287 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: from Asia and Europe, bringing with them starches like rice 288 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: and potatoes, and the decimation of the indigenous population started 289 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: chipping away at the production and consumption of poi. It 290 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: was a slow process, uh Poi was still eaten at 291 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: every meal by many Hawaiians in the eighteen eighties. Some 292 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: estimates suggest five pounds a day for working adult um. 293 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: The first factory that used a machine to grind tarot 294 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: for poi opened in eight and the first regulations on 295 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: pois manufacture hit the books in nineteen eleven um. But Yeah, 296 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: as plantations growing things like sugarcane moved in, that pushed 297 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,680 Speaker 1: tarot out, leading to shortages starting in the nineteen twenties. 298 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: That encouraged to switch to other starches like like rice 299 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: and wheat flour products which were cheaper anyway. Later, as 300 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: more waves of immigrants came to the islands, the housing 301 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: boom would take over even more former taro fields. Acreage 302 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: devoted to taro steadily decreased, but poi was still fairly 303 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 1: common in the early twentieth century. As of nineteen thirty two, 304 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 1: it was estimated that the thirteen factories on Awah who 305 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 1: were producing a combined total of twenty thousand, seven hundred 306 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: pounds of POI per day, and that's nine thousand, four 307 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: hundred kilos. And there was a decent amount of scientific 308 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 1: interest in poise. Yeah. A lot of this research focused 309 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: on its potential health benefits. In nineteen seventeen, VONN McCaughey, 310 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,880 Speaker 1: a botanist with some troublesome views around Japanese, wrote about 311 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: how easily poi is digested. Walter C. Alvarez wrote in 312 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,159 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty eight about poise uses as a substitute for 313 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: allergies to things like rice, corn, and wheat. This use 314 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 1: was employed for soldiers experiencing food allergies while stationed in 315 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: Hawaii during World War Two. Researchers in the sixties even 316 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: experimented with giving point of babies allergic to are intolerant 317 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: to cow's milk and soy's milk. Despite all his interest 318 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: around the health benefits of poi, it's consumption did continue 319 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: to decrease until the eighties and a resurgence in interest 320 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: in traditional Hawaiian foods and cultures. And uh, and we'll 321 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: get into that after we get back from one more 322 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: quick break forward from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank 323 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 1: you sponsor, Yes, thank you so yes. Like we talked 324 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: about in our intro episode Welcome to Oahu. Since the eighties, 325 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: Hawaiian culture has been going through revitalization thanks to the 326 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 1: hard work and determination of Native Hawaiians and other folks 327 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,679 Speaker 1: in the culinary scene who were interested in uplifting regional cuisines. 328 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 1: In the nineteen eighties, only a handful of Native Hawaiian 329 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: elders knew how to pound poi with a board. Now 330 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: that number is up to a couple of thousand, while 331 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: people living in Hawaii are more likely to report eating 332 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:07,400 Speaker 1: rice on a regular basis um as compared with poi. 333 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: There is a renewed interest in and enthusiasm for it 334 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: um and of course for some that that interest never 335 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: went away. There have been a number of taro festivals 336 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: held around the islands over the years that do celebrate 337 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: poi um one still running today. The East Maui Taro 338 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: Festivals started up in and is going strong year. Maui 339 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: sounds like it's got a lot of food festivals we 340 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: need to get to all I'm saying yeah. In two 341 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: thousand nine, poi maker Daniel Anthony started a poi business, 342 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: hand pounding pipe ei with traditional tools wooden board and 343 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: a stone pounder. After a photographer published a photo of 344 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: him making pipe ei like this at the Farmer's Market, 345 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 1: the Department of Health issued a cease and desist with 346 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:53,600 Speaker 1: the concern that the pores in the wood and stone 347 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: could harbor harmful microbes, but the locals considered it safe 348 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: and his product was delicious enough that Honolulu chef Ed 349 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: Kinney put the illegal pot ei on the menu of 350 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 1: his restaurant Town, which we did eat at. Here's Kyle Again, 351 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 1: back then it was like illegal. So like there's this 352 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 1: really rad guy, Daniel Anthony with I think it was 353 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: called Mona oh something like that. He was pounding it 354 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: traditionally and you know, delivering it to certain restaurants that 355 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: weren't supposed to be serving and they were like, screw it, 356 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: Like this stuff is like traditional, it is clean, it's healthy, 357 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: it's perfect. Like we're gonna we're gonna satiate the needs 358 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: of people in the right way. And and eventually like 359 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: like legalized potti I was a thing, and like it 360 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: actually like now it's cool. Now it's finally to the 361 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: community kind of came together on this one and within 362 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:51,360 Speaker 1: two years um it was legalized. As long as makers 363 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: sun bleached their boards, they're good. Kiloha stumbed up poise, 364 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: present and future pretty well. What's exciting is that in 365 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: the past thirty years there's been this resurgence of the 366 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: traditional culture language, bringing back all traditions, things that we 367 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: stopped doing for generations, and uh, you know, it's it's 368 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: exciting bringing things back like pounding point by hand, cooking 369 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: a pig in the in the emore, the on the 370 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: ground of it. You know, things like that. Not everyone 371 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,199 Speaker 1: in Hawaii today. It was privileged to have that growing up. 372 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: And like I said, I mean I grew up eating 373 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: out of a plastic bag. And that was the point 374 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: a plastic bag came about from commercialism, you know, it 375 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: came about from our people. At one time. We're being 376 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 1: steered to be industrious and do things that we were 377 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: not traditionally doing, and making POI kind of fell off 378 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: the wayside. And why are we going to go and 379 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: spend the day and pound this poi with a with 380 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: a board and stone when you could go to the 381 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: store and buy out of a plastic bag. And about 382 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,399 Speaker 1: chen or fifteen years ago, I was asked by our 383 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: friends and say, what are you doing this evening? Let's 384 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: get together. Um, I have a friend, We're going to 385 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,760 Speaker 1: try this sting out. We're gonna palm poi. And I 386 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:19,960 Speaker 1: had never done it in my life, and um, yeah, 387 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: just that simple act of striking the tarot and making 388 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: into a product that I'm so happy to feed my family. 389 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: You know, it's it's yeah, there's no words to describe it. 390 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 1: It's like, yeah, it's just a spiritual it's a spiritual affair. 391 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: This brings us to the end of this our episode 392 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: on POI, but we would love to hear from you listeners. 393 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: Have you had any POI experiences? Send them all away. 394 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: You can email them to us at Hello at saber 395 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,439 Speaker 1: pod dot com. You can also find us on social media. 396 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,880 Speaker 1: We are on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at sabor Pod. 397 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,239 Speaker 1: We do have to hear from you. Thank you so 398 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: much to our superproducers Dylan fay In and Andrew Howard, 399 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: and our executive producer Christopher Hassiotis and our interviewees. Also 400 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 1: many thanks to Michelle McGowan, Rice of the Hawaii Food 401 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: and Wine Festival, Don Sakamotapaiva of Put It on My Plate, 402 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:15,199 Speaker 1: Enjoy Goto, and Maria Hartfield of the Hawaii Visitors and 403 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: Convention Bureau for putting us in touch with all of 404 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: those interviewees. Savor is a production of iHeart Radio and 405 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: Stuff Media. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you 406 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: can visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 407 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows. Thanks to you for listening, 408 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 409 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: your way.