Making Poi

Making Poi
1 large cooked taro corm
water
Break the cooked corms into pieces. Place a few on a poi-pounding
board or in a shallow heavy pan. Break the taro into very small pieces with a
poi-pounder or potato masher. Wet your hand. Slip it under the taro. Turn
the taro over so that it doesn’t begin to stick to the board or pan. When taro
is in small pieces, wet the bottom of the pounder or masher. Continue to
mash and turn the taro until it is smooth and thick. Remember to keep your
hand and the pounder wet during this process.
Scoop up the thickened poi and place in a bowl of appropriate size. To
get the poi to the correct eating consistency, begin to add cool water–a little
at a time. Knead it into the poi with your hands. Keep adding water and
kneading until the poi looks and feels the way you want it to. You can strain
the poi through a gauzy material to remove any undesired large particles. Eat
as is or ferment.
An alternative method is to use a blender or food processor. Put a
small number of cooked taro chunks in the processor and blend–add water
until the preferred consistency is reached.
Fermenting: To give the poi a more tangy taste place the poi in a
covered container (put a plate or towel over the bowl) with a little film of
water on the top and put container in a cool place (either in or out of
refrigerator, but if in the refrigerator place on bottom shelf) for 2–3 days. If a
white film forms on the top, don’t worry, this is a natural occurrence–just
wipe off the film and remix the poi with your fingers. Eat with one, two, or
three fingers!!