MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 7 September 1937, Page 5

MAORI MEMORIES

(By J.H.S. for “The Daily Times.”) KAI MAORI. On this subject of Maori food, one may be pardoned for quoting the words of a New Zealand lady writer, who in a book issued at £1 5s .said: “Before the advent of the Pakeha, the Maori lived principally on grapes, sugar cane, and tomatoes,” and when a protest was made by a local scribe, she replied, “You obviously belong, to that despicable class of wowsers with whom it is useless to argue!” Of‘necessity, the Maori was a frugal eater, and in consequence, a healthy subject. They arose and retired by the sun. Food was obtained from the forest, the field, and the water by the men, was skilfully prepared by the women, and masticated leisurely two hours after sun rise and two hours before sunset, as a tribal ceremony. Children alone were fed at mid-day. In consequence of the obvious effect of frugal feeding, with copious draughts of water between meals, health became a matter of personal pride, aftd sickness a disgrace, not to be mentioned. Topics of conversation never descended to the low level of “organ recitals,” all too common among the Pakehas. The principal .sources of food were birds of many varieties, snared or speared, wrapped in plactic clay, baked in hot ashes and .embers, -without plucking or opening; pipi, mussel, .or oyster; dried eels, sea fish, including the odorous oily shark, and occasionally a whale driven ashore. Luscious sweet kiekie, and berries of many kinds including Karaka, hinau, kahikatea. Arulie (root of the bracken fern) was an excellent standby for winter. After their introduction, Indian corn, kumara, and potatoes, with Captain Cook’s pigs were the main sources of living. A strange method of preparing food was to steep it in running water until kanga pirau (rotten corn) or kotero (decayed potatoes) was produced.