124 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



surrounded by an embankment, were arranged in a veritable 

 patchwork of low terraces. 



Taro requires about one year for maturity. When 

 mature they are dug', the roots and leafy tops removed, and 

 the corms washed. They are then thoroughly steam-cooked 

 in a native underground oven; this requires several hours. 

 The cooked corms are peeled and pounded into a soft, pasty 

 mass. The pounding is done in a long wooden trough or 

 "poi-board," by means of stone pestles. It is a laborious 

 process, done by the men. Often two men work at opposite 

 ends of the same board. The finished product is almost pure 

 starch, and is called pa'i-ai or "hard poi." To this suitabLe 

 quantities of water are added, as required, and it is thoroughly 

 mixed. The resultant thick paste is the famous poi of Hawai'i 

 and the South Seas, It is a staple food in the dietary of the 

 natives. It ferments slightly and will keep a long time without 

 spoiling. The natives store it in wooden bowls and eat it 

 with the fingers. ' Large quantities are consumed at a single 

 meal. "Fish and poi" is a phrase among the natives equivalent 

 to the American "square meal" 



The succulent young leaves and petioles of the taro are 

 also cooked and eaten like spinach and constitute the delicate 

 vegetable called lua'u. The general use of lua'ii at native 

 feasts has caused the feasts themselves to become known as 

 luaus. The taro conn is also eaten as a baked or roasted 

 vegetable, and is often mixed with breadfruit, coconut, sweet 

 potatoes, and other foods. It is never eaten raw, because of 

 the irritating raphides that are only dispelled by cooking. 



Due to the unsanitary conditions under which hand- 

 pounded poi is often made, many persons, especially Ameri- 

 cans, prefer the machine-made poi. There are several factories 

 in Honolulu; the process in brief is as follows: The corms 

 are washed, boiled in large drums by means of live steam 



