Poi anyone? (Waipio: to eat, deal, business)

[tropical87]

I don't know if this is out of place here, but I was looking for a good Poi recipe. First (and last) time I tried I ended up with a slimy gooey tasteless mess that I forced myself to eat. I blended one cup of cooked taro with one cup of water and a pinch of salt but ate it straight away. Would be good to know why this stuff is so popular.

[melaniej65]

How did you 'blend' the taro and water? Usually, poi is fed to babies and foreigners with sugar and milk- making it more palatable before becoming accustomed to the regular poi.

Poi is usually eaten with other foods, thereby flavoring the poi with the taste of lomi lomi salmon, kalua pig, lau lau or squid luau.

Try poi that is pre-prepared and after a few times if you do not care for it do not eat it- but please keep your negative opinions to yourself when you see others eating and enjoying it.

[whynot?]

I think poi is commercially made by milling now, but traditional poi was pounded by a stone on a wooden base, which substantially changes the moisture-to-solid ratio, and creates different carbohydrate bonds and structures (texture) than blending.

When I've had commercial luau poi, I can see why people compare it to wallpaper paste, but when I've had pounded poi, it's more like firm baked potato (almost crystalline) and looks more like seiyō wasabi, and is eaten in small bites with smoked fish or meat as Melanie mentioned.

Please try the real thing!

[nwcountrygal]

If you really want to know read up on the Hawaiin true culter. Poi was very good product for starcht and vitamains. Usually ate with salted products because of no ice so things were salted. It would also balance out the portions of taste.

Agree with Whynot and get the real thing. I am not accomplished at given a reciepe though. Maybe someday. I do myself prefer the purple poi. It does counter balance the salty of salted fish.

[tyvin]

Poi is very serious business to many Hawaiian people and a large part of the culture. Historically it was pounded for consumption with great ceremony and now it's done commercially. Long ago I remember the neighbors always offered me poi with fish and told me about 2 or 3 finger style. They always made a huge deal out of it being sour.
At any luau I have been to, there was always Kulolo; which is a dessert made from poi.

[nwcountrygal]

I have learned 1 - 2 - 3 finger style is the thickness of the poi. Again no expert. 1 being thinest to 3 thickest.

[Koale]

Not sure about that 'crystallized' poi, never heard of it. There is, indeed 1-2-3 finger poi...1 being the thicker substance (only takes 1 finger to eat it)...3 being the thinner variety. Also.. there is 'wet' poi and 'dry' poi. Wet poi comes from taro grown in water (rice paddy style) and is dark purple, dry poi is made from taro that is grown in the ground and is reddis brown.
Now...da kine poi is from Waipio Valley on the BI. It is wet and dark purple...and processed w/much aloha...mmmmm...
Koale

[hotzcatz]

Yeah, Waipio valley poi is ono. My friend's mom makes it exceptionally well. It is a sweeter poi than many and goes really well with kalua pork or fish. Two finger kind, mostly.

For folks first trying poi, consider it a gravy instead of an entree item. Unless you get an exceptional poi, it isn't all that good by itself but generally goes great with fish or meat. Watch and see how the knowledgeable folks eat it, then do as they do.

[franklin42]

Sour poi is my fav. Mix in a little kalua pig and cabbage... mmmmmmm

[nwcountrygal]

Maloha for correcting me for 1 - 2 -3 Koale. Or Thank you