MAKING FIRE AND COOKING FOOD

Te Ao Hou, July 1956, Page 24

MAKING FIRE AND COOKING FOOD by W. J. Phillipps Fire represents heat, warmth, and even life to man. To generate fire, the Maori used to use a fire plough—that is, a pointed stick (hika) was rubbed in a groove formed in a lower piece of wood (kauahi) until smoke, then a red spark, and then fire, appeared in the abraded dust at the lower end of the groove. The wood of three trees was suitable for this purpose—the makomako, kaikomako, and the mahoe. In and around bush areas of the North Island it was customary to collect a dried bracken fungus (Polyporus) which, when dried, ignites rapidly, and it was on this that the tiny mound of glowing fire in the kauahi was usually tipped. In districts remote from bush areas, dried moss and leaves were used for this purpose. Looking down on the old ritual oven after the manner explained by Wiremu Te Aweawe (W. Larkins), Rangiotu. (Stella Bagnal del.) Little has been recorded of this bracken fungus and its importance in the generation of fire and in carrying fire during wet weather. Dr G. B. Cone informs us that she has spoken to an old pakeha bushman who has used it in the Thames district where it was known as “punk” to the early settlers, who learned of its use from the Maoris. Punk burns very slowly and persistently. It can be put out only when smothered. Putawai and putawa are names which have been supplied for this fungus around Gisborne while Mr Arthur Beauchamp gives the Waikaremoana name as popotawai. Elsdon Best tells us that the particular punk used to carry live fire “was the puku tawai found growing on beech trees; that found on tawa trees is useless for the purpose.” Another material of slow combustion used to carry fire was a dried stem of the flowering stalks of New Zealand flax. At night again to quote Best “torches used in travelling were made of bark, dried leaves of cordyline or resinous wood such as mapara.” The earth oven is usually a more or less circular pit some 3 to 4 ft. in diameter and up to 18 inches deep. The oven is usually termed umu by the older people but the modern generation is more accustomed to the term hangi. However, these names vary in different parts of New Zealand. Quantities of wood large and small are placed in the pit and piled up to at least ground level. Over the large top-logs are piled specially selected stones termed taikowhatu or para ngahu—stones which will not easily crack with the heat. As the wood of the oven burns, the stones drop to the floor of the pit. Embers are raked aside, the stones levelled out, some being removed to place on top of the food when it is arranged in the pit.

Above: Fire generation is sometimes a ritual process in which both sexes participate. Paitini Wi Tapeka, of Tuhoe, one of Te Kooti's fighting men demonstrates the custom assisted by his wife Makurata. (After Best) If deemed necessary, the stones on the bottom may now be cleaned by being sprinkled liberally with water. Quantities of green stuff such as fern fronds or sour thistle are now placed over the stones, then a layer of food such as potatoes, then more greens and above this a layer of meat or fish and then perhaps another layer of greens. After this should come a layer of birds over which would be placed the ruatao, special leaves to cover all. The hot stones should be placed above and quantities of water liberally used. Then a mat covers all. We supply here only an outline of the procedure with the hangi. It will be seen that this is a steam cooking process which preserves the quality of the food in its entirety. Methods vary from tribe to tribe. The old oven made according to the manner explained to me by Mr Te Awe Awe has not been recorded elsewhere. Food is also cooked by enveloping the object to be eaten with clay mixed with water and placing this in a hot fire or by enclosing the food in leaves and placing it in the ashes. These methods may have been a great deal more common than we have been led to imagine, particularly in lesser communities where little time was available for the preparation of food. The staff of life, fern root cakes or loaves, Komeke or raumeke were cooked in the ashes while bush birds required for a quick meal were often wrapped in clay “feathers and all” and placed individually in the fire. In half an hour the feathers came off with the clay—the intestines, etc. came out in a lump and the cooked bird remained. Below: The fire plough in use by a tohunga. (After Best, drawing by A. H. Messenger)