Poi Rules You Don’t Have to Follow on Your Hawaii Vacation

A couple of months ago we ran a story about how, to those of us who live in Hawaii, poi is a staple food.  We like it just fine.  We serve it at home and it appears on most local menus.  We urged you to try it when you’re here on vacation, even if it looks and sounds unappetizing to you.

Back in the day, there were unwritten but firmly followed rules concerning the shared poi bowl.  Most of them have been left behind, although a couple are worth considering if you should be invited to a local resident’s home and served poi.

Poi was eaten by the fingers for the simple reason that there weren’t any spoons then.  It was appropriate to use one or two fingers; never three.  The fingers were not to be separated, and not to be drawn through the poi toward oneself.  Rather, the fingers were rotated through the poi two or three times, then what clung to the fingers was carefully lifted to the mouth.  When two or more people shared a bowl, each had to wait for the last to finish before starting. 

Those involved were not allowed to discuss business – or, for that matter, any topic that was not cheerful.  It not only was okay to smack one’s lips, it was expected as a courtesy.

When everyone had finished eating and poi was left in the bowl, the last one to have eaten was to run his fingers around the inside of the bowl and deposit what he picked up back into the mass.  Poi smudges on the sides of the bowls were never wiped clean.

The rules that generally are observed today are the ones about using three fingers and scooping the poi toward you.

But don’t worry.  If you want to use your plastic fork or spoon at your luau, no one will pay any attention.  In fact, if you seem to like the stuff, local onlookers are likely to be pleased.

Posted by Jim Winpenny

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2 comments February 19th, 2009

Hawaii Vacation News - Year End Episode

 

This Week’s Subjects:

• Princess Kaiulani Display
• Poi
• Vans Triple Crown
• Aloha Season’s Greetings

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Add comment December 11th, 2008

To Poi or Not to Poi?

You undoubtedly will have the opportunity to try poi during your Hawaii vacation.  It’s served at all the luau, often appears as a breakfast staple (like home fries or toast), and is available at all the restaurants that offer Hawaiian fare.

True locals consider poi as their ‘’staff of life” — the equivalent of bread in the Western diet.  It’s often the first prepared food given to infants, regardless of the family’s ethnicity, and those infants grow up without ever losing their taste for the tangy, slightly sour concoction.  It becomes an indispensable accompaniment to the lau lau — steaming meat and fish served wrapped in ti leaves — that are the main dishes of the luau, and a lot of us eat it for breakfast in place of cereal, or use it as a dip for appetizers.

Most visitors leave it on their plates without even trying it.  It is, after all, a light brown, viscous mass that looks something like wallpaper paste.  First timers at least imagine it tastes like wallpaper paste, too, although the mild flavor has its own pleasant character.

Actually, the freshly made poi served at most commercial luaus is too bland for us locals.  We prefer the stronger flavor of the pulverized root after it has been allowed to ferment for three or four days, then water is added to produce the right consistency.

The thickness of the mixture is a matter of individual taste.  That viscosity determines whether it’s one-, two- or three-finger poi.  No, we don’t use forks or spoons, even though you probably will at your luau.

Taro root, the solid ingredient of poi, is a good source of calories, calcium and iron, and it provides fiber.  Poi’s greatest value as baby food is its hypoallergenic quality.  It seems to cause no allergies at all.

Give it a chance while you’re here.  We won’t be insulted if you leave most of it behind.

Posted by Jim Winpenny

3 comments November 28th, 2008