Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 2, 1 February 2020 — He 'uala ka 'ai ho'ōla koke i ka wī [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He 'uala ka 'ai ho'ōla koke i ka wī

Na Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH., R.D. Unihi 'ia e kō OHA Paia Kāne

'OIelo No 'eau no. 946 'o ka 'uala ka 'ai e ho 'opau koke i ka wī. He kilo 'āina no'eau ka mahi'ai Hawai'i. Ua kilo ka mahi'ai i ka lā a me ka ua, ka maika'i o ka lepo a me ka momona e ho'oulu ai i nā mea kanu. Ua kilo ka mahi'ai i ka ulu 'ana a me ka hua 'ana o nā mea kanu ma nā 'ano wahi like 'ole, a me nā lepo a me ka ua ho'i o kēlā 'ano kēia 'ano. Ua kilo ka mahi'ai i ka o'o a me ka hua 'ana o ka lā'au, a ua a'o mai i ka ho'oulu 'ana i nā 'ano kalo hou. Ma 1940, he 350 paha ka nui o nā 'ano kalo i 'ike 'ia ma Hawai'i. Ua ho'oulu 'ia he 300 a 'oi 'ano kalo hou mai iwakāluakūmāhā paha kalo i lawe mua 'ia i Hawai'i e nā Hawai'i mua loa. Ulu maika'i ke kalo ma nā 'ano lepo like 'ole a pono ke kalo i ka lā a me ka wai. Ua 'ike maila nā malihini mua i kipa mai i Hawai'i ma 1778 i ka nui o ka 'āina e ho'ohana maiau a ma'ema'e 'ia nei ma ke 'ano he lo'i kalo a puni ka pae 'āina. He hō'ike ka nui o nā lo'i kalo a me nā 'ano kalo like 'ole i ke 'ano o ka mea 'ai i makemake 'ia ka Hawai'i. Ho'oulu pū 'ia ka 'uala e nā mahi'ai.

Ulu ka 'uala ma nā 'ano lepo like 'ole, ma nā 'āina wela, a me nā 'āina ua li'ili'i i a mālo'o ho'i, kahi e ulu 'ole ai ke kalo. Ma kekahi palapala o ka makahiki 1940 ua hō'ike 'ia nā wahi a me ke 'ano o ka lepo e ulu ai ka 'uala, ua palapala 'ia, ulu ka 'uala ma ka nāhelehele, ma ka pōhaku pele a me ka lepo popopo, ma ke 'āko'ako'a, ka lepo 'ula, a me ke 'ākeke. Māhuahua ka mahi 'uala 'ana ma ka huli Kona o nā mokupuni a pau a ulu ho'i ma nā 'ano lepo a pau, koe na'e ka pālolo. Ua ho'oulu ka po'e Hawai'i kahiko i 240 'ano 'uala. Ua kūpono ka ho'oulu 'ia 'ana o ka 'uala a me ke kalo ma nā māla 'ai. No ka mahi'ai, he mea nui ka ma'alahi o ka mahi 'uala. O'o koke ka 'uala. Nui a'e ka hana o ka mahi kalo. He mea nui ke kahe mau o ka wai hu'ihu'i, a he makahiki paha ka lō'ihi o ka wā ma mua o ke o'o 'ana. No laila, he kōkua nui ka 'uala i nā 'ohana ma ka wā wl. Nui ka ikehu'ā kōpia, ka hā'a'a 'ai a me nā wikamina A me B ma ka 'uala, me ka nui a'e o ka wikamina A ma nā 'ano 'uala polū a 'alani. He wikamina C, potasiuma, pokepola, a hao ko ka 'uala, a li'ili'i ka pa'akai a me ka 'aila. 'O ke kalo, nui ke ikehu'a kōpia, ka hā'a'a 'ai, wikamina B, a me nā minerala 'ē 'a'e. He 'ono nā ka lau kalo a me ka lau 'uala i hākui 'ia me nā lā'au'ē 'a'e a me ka i'a a i 'ole ka moa paha. Nui ka wikamina A, B, a me C ma ia mau lau. Mau nō ka pohihihi e pili ana i ka hiki 'ana mai o ka 'uala i Hawai'i nei. Hō'ike mai 'o Sir Peter Buck, ua lawe 'ia mai ka 'uala i Hawai'i e nā ho'okele Polinekia ma _ ka wa'a. Ua ho 'omana ka mahi 'ai i ko lakou 'aumakua. He kinolau ke kalo no Kāne me _ Lono. He kinolau ka 'uala no Kanepua'a, Kamapua'a, me Kūkeaolewa. ■

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH., R.D. 'Ōlelo No 'eau no. 946 The s\veet potato is tlie food that ends /amine quickly. The Hawaiian mahi'ai (farmer) was a skilled observer of nature. Mahi'ai watched the skies for sunlight and rain, and examined the soil for quality and growth potential for crops. The mahi'ai carefully observed plant growth and crop yields in a variety of environments, soil types and rains. Mahi'ai observed plant maturation and reproduction and learned to develop new varieties of kalo. By 1940, nearly 350 varietal kalo names were known in Hawai'i. More than 300 new varieties were developed from about two-dozen original kalo brought to Hawai'i by the first Hawaiians. Kalo grows successfully in a variety of soils and hours of sunlight and a source of fresh water is needed. The first outsiders to visit Hawai'i in 1778 observed vast land areas devoted to neat, highly productive lo'i kalo (taro fields) throughout the islands. The large number of lo 'i kalo and kalo varieties are clear evidence of the traditional food preferences of Native Hawaiians. The mahi'ai used their skills with 'uala (sweet potato), as well. 'Uala grew in a variety of soils, tolerated sunny environments, and grew in climates with intermittent rain that were too dry to support kalo crops. A 1940 report on locations and soils where 'uala was grown recorded it growing in forest lands, in decomposed lava and humus, in white coral, red soil.

and in gravelly, volcanic cinder. In fact, 'Uala farming abounded on the drier leeward sides of all islands and grows in all types of soil except clay. Early Hawaiians developed and grew over 240 'uala varieties. The humble 'uala made a perfect agricultural partner to the kalo in Hawaiian gardens. For mahi'ai, an important consideration was that 'uala required less planting preparation and daily care than kalo. And 'uala is ready to harvest within a month or so. In comparison, kalo requires mueh care, a constant and abundant source of eool, fresh, running water and most varieties take a year to mature. Thus, 'uala proved essential for families managing brief periods of food shortages. 'Uala is a rich source of carbohydrate calories, fiber and vitamins A and B, with the purple and orange varieties somewhat higher in vitamin A. 'Uala provides some vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus and iron and is low in sodium and fat. Kalo is also a rich source of carbohydrate calories, fiber, B vitamins, and several minerals. The green leaves of kalo and uala are very tasty when steamed with other herbs and fish or ehieken. These greens provide abundant vitamin A and some B and C vitamins. There is still some mystery regarding the arrival of the sweet potato in Hawai'i. Sir Peter Buck reported that 'uala was brought to Hawai'i by Polynesian voyagers as canoe's stores. Hawaiian planters worshiped their ancestral guardians. The guardians of kalo are Kāne and Lono. The guardians of 'uala are Kānepua'a (pig man), Kamapua'a (pig boy), or Kūkeaolewa (Kū-of-the-floating-cloud). ■