''Po‘e'' or ''poke'' is a
Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
n
pudding
Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal.
In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, ins ...
usually eaten as a dessert.
Etymology
The Tahitian word ''po'e'' is derived from the proto-Polynesian root ''poke'' which means "to mix", "to knead". It is still called ''poke'' in all Polynesian languages except in the
Tahitian language and in the
Austral language on the island of
Raivavae
Raivavae ( Tahitian: ''Ra‘ivāvae'' /ra.ʔi.va:va.e/) is one of the Austral Islands in French Polynesia
)Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze")
, anthem =
, song_type = Regional anthem
, song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" ...
where the glottal stop (written as an apostrophe ') has replaced the voiceless velar stop (k).
Preparation
Traditionally po'e was made by cooking and mashing
bananas into a smooth consistency and mixing together with
arrowroot flour. The mixture was wrapped in banana leaves and baked in an
earth oven until set into a pudding-like consistency, cut into smaller pieces and served together with
coconut cream. Modern versions of the recipe replace bananas with other fruits such as
papaya
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...
,
mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
or squash and using
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...
[The definitive Cook Islands websit]
Cook Islands Recipes, Poke – Traditional sweetener supplied by Mereana Hutchinson, Rarotonga
/ref> or corn starch
Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...
as the thickening agent.
See also
* Kulolo – a traditional Hawaiian dessert, made from grated taro and coconut milk baked into a pudding
* Poi – a similar traditional banana dessert, from Samoa
References
External links
Po'e recipe
a
W4E
Oceanian cuisine
Pascuense cuisine
Puddings
Fruit dishes
Cook Islands cuisine
French Polynesian cuisine
Foods containing coconut
Polynesian cuisine
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