MAORI COOKING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25302, 12 August 1943, Page 6

MAORI COOKING

CHILDREN AT ROXBURGH CAMP The secretary of the Health Camp Central Council, Mr K. R. Standage, has received a letter from one of the children at present in the camp at Roxburgh describing an unusual departure from the ordinary routine of meal time. During the day the boys, assisted by the nursing aids (under the personal supervision of Miss Petersen, the matron, who at one time was stationed in the North Auckland district), constructed a Maori hangi. All the children gathered stones and firewood, while the bigger girls prepared sausages, potatoes, turnips, beet, and cabbage. The stones were placed in the pit and a fire lighted on top. When this had died down and the stones were hot the food, wrapped in wet tea towels, was placed on top of cabbage leaves, the oven covered In, and the results awaited with anxious expectation. In the meantime, just in case the experiment did not turn out as it promised, another bonfire was lit and a snack enjoyed, followed by songs. In due course the hangi was opened, and, to everyone’s delight, and, no doubt, surprise, the meal was found to be beautifully cooked, and the children declared that it was much better than the usual dinner. No doubt some of the enterprising ones will demonstrate this improved ” method to their families when they return to Dunedin at the end of the month.