Cooking.

Before the advent of Europeans the Maoris, being unacquainted with the use of metals, had no means of boiling in the ordinary sense. The act, however, was accomplished by means of the haangi, a contrivance common to the whole of the Polynesian race. It is still often used among the Maoris when a large quantity of food has to be cooked, and is generally known among European settlers as the “native oven,” though the term “steaming-pit” would be a more exact description. To make a haangi a hole about 1 ft. or 18 in. deep is scooped in the ground, and of a diameter proportionate to the quantity of food to be treated. The hole is filled with short billets of wood set up on end, with cross-pieces above, on which are placed a number of stones about the size of a man's fist. The wood being kindled, the stones soon become red-hot, and fall to the bottom as the fuel is consumed. The embers are then removed and the stones spread out level. A little water poured from a height raises a jet of steam, which blows away the ashes, and the oven is ready. The kumara, after being carefully scraped and washed, together with any food that is to be cooked with them, as birds, fish, or other kinaki (relish), are piled on the stones and covered with soft fern. Water is now poured in and the oven is quickly spread over with several thicknesses of flax matting, after which a quantity of earth is shovelled over the top and sides and beaten hard with a spade until the steam no longer escapes. In about half an hour the cooking is completed, and the coverings are removed, great care being taken to prevent the earth getting on to the food, which is usually served up in little square baskets of green flax called paaro, a fresh lot being plaited for every meal.

This was the mode invariably adopted when the kumara was required for every-day consumption, a more elaborate plan being used when they were to be converted into a sweetmeat called kao. For this some of the small varieties were chosen. After being scraped and washed as before, they were dried in the sun for two or three days. They were then wrapped in the leaves of certain aromatic plants and packed in small kits before being laid on the stones. For the kao an extra hot oven was used, and no water was poured in, the only moisture