Maori Foods

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 49, 19 June 1931, Page 10

Maori Foods

— T CANNOT resist listening to Te Ari Pitama. Had the original raison d'etre of these notes not been somewhat changed by. over-sensitiveness on the part of some of our lecturers, I should haye had no excuse for mentioning another of this gifted orator’s talks, It is thus another instance of an ill wind blowing someone some good, and I am duly grateful to those responsible, With all the compliments which have, periodically, been. showered on Te Ari Pitama, he can no longer be in danger of over-estimation of self-opinion, and my tribute may safely be contributed. Not only do I find the subject matter of his talks of immense interest, but I revel in his perfect delivery, beautiful English and poetic phraseology. On Wednesday he spoke from Christchurch on Maori foods, It so happened that force of circumstances compelled me to listen: from far afield; static and atmospherics did their united best to spoil the talk, but it was beyond their power. Maori traditions are, of course, fascinating to a degree. How the race managed to get to the fundamentals! Surely Te Ari. Pitama is by way of being a satirist? (an’ he considers himself an obvious oné, my query will make him sigh greatly). I appreciate. his "of course the Maori thinks only of to-day-the pakeha would live for ever!" And surely his. ample apology for the Maori mode of reception of his visitors should act as’a gentle reproof of our own more: casual, less dignified, and cruder methods. His comparison of dried shark, rotten potatoes, sea eggs and eels (which are the culinary joys of his own race and the marvel of our own) with crawling cheese, stinking game and advanced poultry (over which many of us rave consciously or unconsciously) was a veritable sword thrust. Te Ari Pitama wound up an enthralling talk by a most amusing anecdote about the illustrious late Bishop Selwyn. His Lordship had been entertained by the-Maoris. Having eaten, he was shown his sleeping quarters and, shortly after he had retired. a Maori maiden appeared at the door of his hut, having been supplied by the cotitteous and hospitable chiefs in lieu ofthe Bishop’s own wife, unavoidably absent. She was promptly ordered away. Hearing this, the chiefs went into committee and decided that the Bishop was numerically disappointed at the. hospitality‘afforded and accordingly dispatched ten maidens to his hut. These were dismissed equally quickly, and the Bishop took considerable pains to let all and sundry know what he thought of this particular Maori custom. The chiefs réluctantly came to the conclusion that His’ Grace was mentally deficient, and went. off to bed! One more instance of "One man’s meat..." ‘