Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 34, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2017 — Tī, Kī, Lāʻī . . .endures [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tī, Kī, Lāʻī . . .endures

The tl plant is also called kl and lā'I (a contraction of lau kī). Makua and kupuna used these names interchangeably in the community where I was raised. Tī has many current and traditional domestic uses, undoubtedly accounting for its abundance in Hawai'i gardens. Tī grows in all kinds of soil but, of course, does best when water is adequate. Stately hedges of tī surround some homes, their wide green leaves shining beautiful and bright.

Others have groupings, or clumps, of tī in their yards. Tī plants are also often strategically placed near family cooking areas, such as the kitchen, outdoor grill and imu. Domestically, green tī leaves

are used in cooking and for weaving temporary plates, placemats, hats, hula skirts and more. In old Hawai'i, dried tī leaves were woven into raincoats, a

well as sandals for walking over rough surfaces. Dried leaves also make niee ties for light bundles and adornments like lei, and wrist and ankle bracelets. Today, we use green tī leaves to wrap foods being steamed, baked or broiled. Tī is still used to line and cover the imu, in part to create a seal, but also for creating steam in the cooking process. Flavors imparted by tī during cooking are appetizing and familiar to Hawai'i diners. For

example, to "package" the Hawaiian laulau, two tī leaves are laid, one across the other, to hold the mixture of lūau (taro greens); fish and either pork, beef or ehieken; and a little salt. The tī leaves form the base and taro greens (lū'au) serve as a eup to hold the serving of meat, ehieken, and/or fish and, if desired, other

root vegetables. The lū'au is wrapped tightly around the protein foods that have been ffavored with salt or other herbs. Then carefully, all ingredients are enfolded by the tī and a split-end of an outer tī leaf is used to tie leaves around the food. Sometimes cotton string is used to secure the food packet. The resulting packet of food, the laulau, is ready to be steamed, usually on the stove top. Laulau are a modern,

"individual-sized serving" version of the traditional family-sized food pū'olo (bundle, packet) of single foods, prepared in the family imu. Whole, fresh tī leaves are often used to decorate. They enhanee the appearance of serving platters, trays and tables. And we often use tī to wrap, tie, support, carry or cover food, either freshly cooked at the table, or as leftovers being carried home. Stalks of tī are often used to decorate k- tables, dining rooms and entryways. In old Hawai'i, usually during times of famine - essentially kalo shortages - tī root was eaten. Famines mentioned in history likely occurred during droughts, making kalo less available. Tī root was harvested from forest areas and cooked in imu like kalo, 'uala and ulu. Imubaked tī root was called "sweet root" because of its pleasant, sweet flavor. History reports that taro and tī root were occasionally served during times of plenty, indicating an actual flavor preference for cooked tī.

Of historical interest, Kaimukī on O'ahu got its name from the large community imu there that prepared tī root for area residents during famines. The commercial use of tī began after Westerners arrived and introduced metal pots. Tī root provided the carbohydrate base to produce a beer that tasted like brandy, called 'okolehau (iron bottom), whieh remained popular into the 1900s. Many believe tī leaves possess protective qualities against psychic evil. Thus, tī is used in rituals to protect persons, places and items fromevil. Kawena Pukui explained that tī was used so often in religious ceremonies that it was called kanawai, or the law. Reportedly in old Hawai'i, a tī stalk raised on the battle field was a truce sign. And, tī plants are frequently used in ceremonies, such as for laka, hula and in making hula skirts. Tī has endured - unchanged, for centuries. Tī offers a model, or paradigm, of strength and endurance for Kanaka Maoli. ■

4 OLAKINO ^ Y0UR HEALĪH

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By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.

Tī Photo: Courtesy