Na ke kanaka mahiʻai ka imu ō nui. The well-filled imu belongs to the man who tills the soil. (ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #2239)

For the last few years Waikīkī Hawaiian Civic Club (WHCC) has sponsored our annual “Fish and Poi” event. However, this year we tried to make it a little different by doing a “Imu and Fish” event in collaboration with Ka Papa Loʻi o Kānewai at UH Mānoa. Each year we invite Native Hawaiian foster care, legal guardianship and adoptive families and love providing these learning opportunities for them.

What is a “Imu and Fish” event? Well, we start a few days before the actual workshop day by gathering all of the needed materials like the kiawe wood, kumu maiʻa, lāʻī, and kindling. The day before the event, the workshop participants gathered at the loʻi and helped us to prepare the imu. In the afternoon the imu is lit, the food is prepared, and later closed and left for the evening.

In the early morning we gather together again at the loʻi to kōkua with the community work day. This year we were able to provide akule for the participants to clean and prepare for drying. We also found a few aku that we used to demonstrate the preparation of different types of poke.

Right before lunch we open the imu and later get to paʻina pū with all of the ʻohana that have gathered. Puaʻa kālua, ulu, kalo, ʻuala, rice pudding, and poke…hū ka ʻono!

The puaʻa kālua from the imu is also used for our food booth fundraiser at the Prince Kūhiō Festival and Hōʻikeʻike at Kapiʻolani Park. This year our menu included our ʻono puaʻa kālua plate and sandwiches as well as a chicken long rice plate.

In September 2012 we also participated in the Onipaʻa festival at ʻIolani Palace in celebration of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s birthday. Once again we had our famous puaʻa kālua and chicken long rice menu.

If you know someone that would like to learn more about making an imu or preparing fish for various dishes feel free to contact us.

E HUKI LIKE!!!