Poi

Name: Poi
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Hawaii Local
Ingredients: 3 lb Taro corm; 3 cups Water

Pounded, fermented taro corm blended with water into a smooth, slightly tangy paste — the traditional staple starch of the Hawaiian table.

🇺🇸United States· Hawaii

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 80 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 120 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 2 gathered

Servings

3 lb Taro corm
3 cups Water

Equipment

•Large pot
•Food processor or traditional stone pounder and board

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 120 kcal
fat: 0
carbs: 28
protein: 1
calories: 120

Instructions

1
Put the peeled, cubed taro into a large pot. Cover it with water.
2
Bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the taro falls apart easily.
3
Drain the taro over a bowl. Save some of the hot cooking water to use next.
4
Put the hot taro into a food processor. Blend it, slowly adding the saved water until smooth.
5
Keep blending and adding water until the poi (mashed taro) is thick and pourable.
6
Pour into a bowl and cover it. Let it cool to room temperature before serving.
7
Store covered in the refrigerator. Stir in a splash of water before serving to loosen it.

Chef's tips

Leave the poi covered at room temperature for a day or two if you like it sour and fermented, just like kupuna (elders) prefer.

Storage

Refrigerate fresh poi up to 5 days; it will continue to ferment and sour slightly each day. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Reheating

Poi is traditionally served cold or at room temperature and is not reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding too much water at once, which makes the poi runny instead of thick.
•Using aluminum cookware, which reacts with taro and ruins its color and flavor.
•Not boiling the taro long enough, which leaves the blend gritty and starchy.