Often eaten with just your fingers, poi is described as one- two- or three-finger, depending on its thickness.

Below you’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe for “two finger poi.”

Traditionally, Hawaiians cooked the starchy, potato-like taro root  for several hours in an imu. It was then pounded on large flat boards  called papa ku’i’ai, using heavy stones called pohaku ku’i’ai. The taro  was pounded into a smooth, sticky paste known as pa’i’ai (basically poi  without added water) and stored in air tight ti leaf bundles. Poi was  created by slowly adding water to the pa’i’ai, then mixed and kneaded to  the perfect consistency. It is sometimes left to ferment, giving it a  unique and slightly sour taste.

Here is a simple recipe for one of my favorite Hawaiian dishes – poi.

Materials & Equipment:

• vegetable brush

• 2-quart pot

• food processor

• medium-sized silicone or stainless steel mixing bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 taro roots

• water

Click here for instructions.