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means the circular motion of the hand in stirriui^ poi. Uuliiliaku 

 means to stir poi hke a lazy man. hence the poi will be lum])y. 

 Poi that is not well-pounded and therefore full of lumps, which 

 cannot be removed by careful mixing, is said to be punpiiu, a much 

 stronger term than JwkiiJwkit. When the lumps in poi are fine, 

 like sand, it is onconc. 



Mild acetic fermentation gradually takes place, so that the 

 fresh, sweet poi. called poloJci or okaokai. becomes slowly changed 

 to the older sour poi or poi azvaaica. 



Among the Polynesians poi is universally eaten with the fingers. 

 According to the amount of water with which it is diluted it be- 

 comes "one-finger," "tw'O-finger," or "three-finger" poi, this crite- 

 rion being that of the number of fingers required in eating it. 

 When poi has been successfully pounded and mixed it can be 

 readily transferred from the container to the mouth by one or 

 sometimes two fingers. The act of transferral is called jniki ; the 

 dextrous twirl given to the finger in the poi to make it adhere 

 properly before carrying it to the mouth is koai. Miki pakahi 

 indicates the use of one finger; miki paliia the use of two fingers, 

 and miki pakolu, the use of three fingers. If the poi is so thin 

 as to require three or more fingers it is better form to fill a small 

 umckc and pour its contents down into the wide-open mouth. 

 This act is called kaii, and is performed with great dexterity. The 

 skill with which a well-bred chief was able to dispose of a large 

 quantity of poi in one kau was called miki oi. Only a kanaka 

 hatika'i, "a careless fellow," would use his fingers in eating thin 

 poi. 



If a person in eating from a bowl of poorly mixed poi. shuns 

 the lumpy part and seeks out the better part, this action may be 

 called aloalo, "dodging the lumps." When a person is too lazy 

 to have his food properly prepared, or to clean his fingers before 

 eating, or eats in a dirty manner and then leaves the food without 

 care he is called he kanaka pono-ai. "one who eats like a pig." 



Hoo-ivali is the process of mixing poi with the hand in the 

 calabash; iviliau is the final i)r(X'ess of the hoo^cali. If the poi 

 adheres to tlie side of the calabash after this mixing, the sides 

 of the calabash are cleaned by a circular motion of the hand. 

 This motion is called kahi, and is a conventional signal on the 

 part of the host or hostess, at a meal, that the eating is at an end. 

 To kahi before the guests have all finished is pi. mean or very bad 

 form. 



Thin, watery poi is called kair, kakalc. or kalckalc. Piholoholo 

 is a thin kind of poi made for the sick ; it is like the ordinary poi 

 "cocktail" of the foreigner, save that it contains neither milk unr 

 sugar. 



I'M EKE. 



The poi was kept either in wooden bowls or calabashes. The 

 bowls, umckc, were hewn from solid blocks, usually of koii. koa, 



