Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 12, 1 December 2018 — “Ka i'a lauoho loloa ka 'āina” [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“Ka i'a lauoho loloa ka 'āina”

OLAKINO YOUR HEALĪH

(The long-haired flsh of the land) 'Ōlelo No'eau, #1361

By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH.,R.D. The saying above is from Mary Kawena Pukui's "'Ōlelo No'eau," a eolleehon of sage wisdom of our Hawaiian elders. This 'ōlelo compares the importance of vegetable greens eaten with poi, such as lū'au, hō'i'o (fern), kikawaiō (fem) or sweet potato leaves (palulā), to the impohanee of fish in our ancestor's daily diet. Poetically speaking, the leaves are the hair, the oho or lauoho of plants.

Many are surprised to leam that our ancestors' daily diet was almost vegetarian, especially compared to the diet that Hawaiians consume today. In kahiko Hawai'i, kalo (taro) and poi were staple foods. Lū'au (kalo leaves) and other greens with limu (seaweed), sweet potatoes, yams and breadffuit comprised nearly 80 percent of our ancestor's daily food. Back then, reef fish were the ehoiee for daily protein, as small limu-fed fish were tasty and easily available. Hawaiians ate kalo or poi with other vegetables and limu (seaweed), along with an ounee or two of fresh fish. These foods, rich in numerous vitamins, minerals, protein and fuel, protected the health of hearts, digestive tracts and all body tissues of our Hawaiian ancestors - and ean still help us today. Current heahh literature speaks of the protective nature

of folic acid and vitamin B6 against heart disease. The traditional Hawaiian foods described above provide these protective nutrients and more. Heahh professionals agree, if modern Hawaiians ate as their ancestors did - and did not smoke cigarettes - Native Hawaiians could improve overall heahh. Thus, by adopting the ancestor's foods and cooking methods, Hawaiians would be markedly healthy again, and could create a great model for all Hawaiian children and grandchildren. In an article on poi-making, Kawena Pukui mentioned how cooked lū'au was occasionally substituted for pua'a (pig) in offerings to the gods. These lū'au offerings were called pua'a hulu 'ole, or "hairless pig." This practice indicates the deep reverence our ancestors had for lū'au. It was considered an

appropriate offering because of its importance in the ancient cultural mo'olelo (story) of Hāloa. Lū'au was appropriate as offerings to the gods, and as medicine and food for man and animals. Today, kalo leaves are no longer plentiful in supermarkets, however, they ean be found at community open markets or farmer's markets. The Hawaiian riddle, "He 'ai ko lalo, he i 'a ko luna," translates to, "The food is below, the meat is above." You see, on occasion, Hawaiians made a meal of cooked lū'au and poi. Kupuna Elizabeth Elhs told us how her family made pūlehu lū'au, by turning a tī leaf wrapped packet of lū'au over hot embers until it was cooked. That became their fish-substitute for dinner. Obviously, real fish was usually eaten but Ihe practice of eating just pulehu lū'au and poi was frequent enough to occasion to this riddle. Among my childhood memories is sitting with my sister in the kitchen at Aunty Molly's house in Waiala'e, O'ahu. We watched Aunty's mother, Tutu, make "keko palai" for us. These

were pancakes made of a chopped hāhā (lū'au stems) and kalo mixture, fried in butter in a cast-iron skillet over a kerosene bumer. Tutu smiled, sang and spoke to us in Hawaiian the entire time. We sat, smiled, watched and listened. Of course, we didn't understand every word, but the aloha that she shared was clear. Then, she served us our first-ever "keko palai" pancakes. We sat and ate together, Tutu and the kids, while the "adults" talked on the porch. What an absolute treat ! ! Our ancestor's nutrition options were far healthier those we have today. Improving our heahh by changing our food choices would take significant effort, especially due to the scarcity of our cultural food. We ean start by choosing to eat vegetables and fruits that are seasonally plentiful and affordable. Then, we need to advocate for improved access to traditional food in Hawaiian communities, perhaps through fanning subsidies, fanners markets and food pantries. Let's work on this with our community leaders. ■