Umukai is a ceremonial meal that brings together community and tradition, serving as a living link to the island’s ancestral past and customary practices during family gatherings.
How it tastes
Various meats and vegetables imbued with a smoky aroma and earthy flavors from the slow cooking method in a buried oven, each bite is tender and aromatic.
Origin & History — first documented: 1700
Dating back centuries, Umukai evolved as a communal activity in Rarotonga, crucial for celebrations and gatherings, driven by the easy availability of natural ingredients.
Recipe
Ingredients
🥩500 g pork
🥕300 g taro root
🥕as needed banana leaves
🧂2 tbsp rock salt
🥕200 g sweet potato
Method
1Prepare and heat an earth oven for 2 hours.
2Wrap pork and vegetables in banana leaves.
3Place wrapped packages into the earth oven.
4Cover with more leaves and soil, and cook for 4 hours.
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© Wikimedia Commons
© Wikimedia Commons