66 



preparation: Lima oolu, limu lipeepee, limu lepeahina {Ilalymenia 

 formosa), limu moopuna-ka-lipoa (Grifflthsia sp. ?), and probably a 

 few others not in general use. 



After cleaning, the seaweed is always salted and usually broken, 

 pounded, or chopped into small pieces, and usually it is eaten uncooked 

 as a relish with poi, meats, or fish. Raw fish is never eaten without 

 limu or some other relish, such as raw tomatoes, chili peppers, or 

 onions. 



The Hawaiians in the ancient times seldom cooked their limu, though 

 it was occasionally placed in the imu or earthen pit with pig or dog 

 and roasted or steamed. This was done when there was a famine or 

 war and taro and sweet potatoes were scarce. Limu akiaki, limu huna, 

 limu manauea, and limu uaualoli were all sometimes cooked in this 

 wa}' as a substitute for taro and sweet potatoes. 



The Hawaiians of to-day do far more cooking than formerly, because 

 they are not hampered for cooking utensils as their ancestors, who 

 had no vessels that could be set over the fire. Water could only be 

 heated by putting in hot stones, and boiling or stewing was almost 

 impossible. Their only method of cooking meats or fish was in the 

 primitive imu, or pit lined with ■ stones and heated with a big fire. 

 This when well heated was lined with banana and ti** leaves, then pigs, 

 dogs, fish, taro, or sweet potatoes were placed on the ti leaves, cov- 

 ered well with ti and banana leaves, while over this was heaped earth. 

 This was allowed to steam twelve hours or more before serving. 

 Usually hot stones were placed in the pig to hurry the cooking, or if 

 the pig was large it was cut into small pieces for each individual. 

 These small pieces with a roll of taro leaves or some gelatinous limu 

 were placed in ti leaves and tied in bundles, which were placed in the 

 pit and roasted as described above. The limu when steamed in this 

 way with meats becomes gelatinous and is flavored with the meat 

 juices. It is considered very delicious by the natives, who always eat 

 it with the roasted meat and sweet potatoes. 



Very few poor Hawaiians have stoves or ovens, so that all their 

 baking or roasting is still done in the primitive way. Their cooking 

 is done over a fire in an old coal-oil tin out of doors, hence must be 

 very simple. Meat is usually boiled or stewed in small quantities 

 with taro leaves or limu. Whenever any Hawaiian gives a large 

 dinner the pig and fish are roasted in the imu as in olden days. The 

 following limus are often cooked with boiled meats or put into soups 

 or gravies for thickening and flavoring, as well as with roast pig in 

 the imu: Limu akiaki, limu uaualoli, limu loloa, limu lipeepee, limu 



a Cordyline terminalis, found on the mountain sides on the edges of the forest. The 

 leaves are used instead of paper for wrappers for food, and for plates, etc. The root 

 is roasted and eaten and is also fermented into a kind of strong drink like rum. 



