Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 6, 1 Iune 2000 — ʻUala: abundant, nourishing and mysterious [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻUala: abundant, nourishing and mysterious

He 'uala ka 'ai ho'ōla koke i ka wī — Sweet potato is the food that ends famine quickly

By C I ū i r e Hughes Dept. ot Health ĪHE 'UALA (sweet potato) was the second most important staple food in early Hawai'i. 0ur ancestors learned to breed 'uala for specific desired qualities, whieh brought about a prohferation of more than 230 varieties. Grown in areas that were too dry for kalo, 'uala was plentiful on the leeward side of all islands. It was grown in forest land on easter Maui and on the arid slopes of 'Ulupalakua; on decomposed lava and humus in Hāna and Kaupō; in the swampy humus on Moloka'i; and on decomposed lava in Kona and Kealakekua on Hawai'i. The gravelly volcanic cinder in Makiki, O'ahu, was also very suitable for growing 'uala, as were the white coral and red soil of Makena, Maui. In fact, 'uala ean grow in all types of soil, except clay. After a good rain, the māla (patch) was planted with lau 'uala (cuttings). The first six days after the first new moon, the nights of Hilo, Hoaka and four Kū nights were believed to be best for planting this crop. While waiting for a good rainfall, the cuttings or slips, with leaves stripped,

were bundled and kept moist under fresh, damp ti leaves for a eouple of days. Then, in the early morning, the lau 'uala were planted in pu'e (mounds). Six to eight ineh holes were made with 'ō'ō, two or three shps placed in eaeh pu'e, and the soil was pressed down around the cuttings. After the entire field was planted, the mounds were covered with muleh to hold the moisture in the soil. High mounding, pu'epu'e, were used in damp soil or heavy rainfall areas, to aerate the root system and prevent rot. After heavy rains, the mature vines were pulled up over the pu'e by hand to allow sun and wind to dry the soil, again, to prevent rot and mildew. About a month after the first good rain, a few young tubers were dug out by hand and offered to Lono, the god of 'uala. Following this ceremony, a kapu was placed on the māla and no one could enter the field or disturb the plants until harvest. The planters of 'uala worshiped the ancestral guardians, Kānepua'a (pig man), Kamapua'a (pig boy) or Kūkeaolewa (Kū of the floating cloud), to assure a good crop. Planters also consulted their 'aumakua when they made 'ō'ō to obtain help in cultivating a bountiful crop. How the sweet potato arrived in

Hawai'i is a bit of a mystery. All three known varieties of the sweet potato, kumara, batata and camote, originated in

South America. The batata and camote lines were established in Central

America before Magellan arrived. Columbus and

other European explorers carried the batata line from the

Caribbean to Europe, from where it spread rapidly to the Yunnan

province in Southern China, arriving there by 1525. The batata line was growing in the Ryukyu archipelago by the 17th century, after whieh either Chinese or European sailors introduced the plant to Melanesia. It is believed that Magellan took the camote variety from Western Mexico to the Philippines and Asia, where it arrived at the same time the batata line made its way there. However it was the kumara line that was introduced, along with its name, into Polynesia, arriving first in the Marquesas, then the Society Islands,

East-

er Island and Hawai'i. It is known as kumara throughout Polynesia; Hawaiians eall it 'uala. Sir Peter Buck reported that 'uala was brought to Hawai'i by the Polynesian voyagers as ship's stores,The Hawaiians sailed into the Pacific in pursuit of this delicious new food. 'Uala is a rich source of carbohydrate calories, fiber, and vitamins A and B, with the purple and orange varieties somewhat higher in A. 'Uala provides some vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus and iron, and contains very small amounts of sodium and fat. The green leaves are very tasty when steamed with other herbals or with fish or ehieken. ■

y . i -