Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 6, 1 June 1990 — ʻAi Pono, E Ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAi Pono, E Ola

By Terry Shintani, M.D., M.P.H.

What to do about the poi shortage

"Poi shortage! Ican't get any poi." That was the eomplaint heard repeatedly last month. It was both distressing and, at the same time, music to my ears. It was distressino because neonle

can't get the benefits of eating delicious poi. But it was music because it means that our efforts may be paying off. More and more people are asking for poi. Talking to Honolulu Poi Company I found that one of the reasons for the shortage was the unfavorable taro-growing weather this past year in

the Hanalei Valley where mueh of their kalo (taro) comes from. It is striking how sensitive the industry was to such conditions. This is in part because there aren't enough acres in wetland kalo lo'i (taro patches) cultivation to provide a broad base of kalo supply. I say wetland kalo because poi comes almost exclusively from wetland kalo such as the lehua variety. We have always promoted the value of kalo, poi, and the traditional Hawaian diet in supporting good health. In light of the poi and kalo shortage the question becomes what ean we do about it. One excellent alternative is growing your own kalo and making your own poi. This alternative is promoted by the Opelu Project and Ka'ala Farm. If you want to leam how, eall them at 696-4870 and ask for the book "From Then Until Now, A Manual for Doing Things Hawaiian Style" ($15) or the book "Kalo" ($5.) They also have huli (kalo that you ean plant) for a very reasonable cost. To turn your kalo to poi (whether store-bought or home grown), just use your blender as indicated below. For ourselves, until our kalo matures in six to nine months we ean choose reasonable substitutes instead of poi and other Hawaiian foods that are also in short supply or somewhat costly. Good substitutes for kalo and other Hawaiian staples include potato, sweet potato, brown rice, whole wheat, noodles, pasta, barley, buckwheat, and eom. What ean we do to help reverse the poi and kalo shortage? One important thing we ean all do is to eonhnue to ask for it and to use it as a regular part of our menu. This will plaee eeonomie pressure on the suppliers to produce more, they in turn will plaee pressure on the growers to growmore. In addition they ean encourage the government to set aside lands for wetland kalo (taro) and create other programs to support the kalo and poi industries. We

ean support organizations who promote the use of kalo such as "Friends of Taro" or Taro Action Resources Organization (TARO) whieh promotes kalo gardens in the schools, (eall 537-9158) and promote legislative action to support theindustry. There will be a taro festival, "Taro in the Pacific Islands," at Windward Community College on July 28. There will be music, food booths, demonstrations, representatives from the Pacific such as the Cook Island and Tonga, and the admission is free. If you'll follow the recipe below, you will be doing your part so none of us have to say "poi shortage" any more. Recipe for reversing the kalo (taro) shortage 1. Grow your own kalo. Call Opelu Projectfora book on how to do this at 696-4870. a. From Then Until Now, A Manual For Doing Things Hawaiian Style $15 b. Kalo ($5) 2. Make your own poi with a blender or a poi pounder. Take the cooked kalo (boiled or steamed 2-3 hours and tested with a skewer to see if it's done) peel it, ehop it in small pieces so you don't burn out your blender, then watch carefully while you blend with water. A vitamix juicer is also good for this purpose (eall Friends of Kalo below for info.) 3. Substitute reasonable alternative foods. 4. Ask for poi and kalo in your grocery store and use them often 5. Support organizations such as Friends of Kalo 537-9158. 6. Attend the "Taro in the Pacific Island Festival" July 28, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Windward Community College. Dr. Shintani, physician and nutritionist is the director of Preventiue Medicine at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensiue Health Center. A majority of its 18,000 clients are natiue Hawaiian. He is the host of the KGU radio talk show "Nutrition and You" Monday at 7 p.m.