Kulolo?

Yesterday, we had our friends Gary, Keoni, and Auntie Manu over for a blessing of our house and some brunch. We had eggs, Okinawan sweet potato home fries, sweet bread, pineapple, Portuguese sausage, and poi (and I forgot to take any pictures).

There was quite a bit of poi left over, so Auntie Manu suggested we could made some kulolo from it - by mixing it with coconut milk and brown sugar, and cooking it on the stovetop until it thickened up considerably. I gave it a try, and I *think* I might've done it correctly. I ended up with a fudge-like consistency after it set up - which is how it was described in The Food of Paradise.

When we're in Kona in March, I'll have to seek out some kulolo to see how close I got to the real thing. It's traditionally made wrapped in ti leaves and baked in an imu (underground oven), like Kalua pig, and I've seen recipes that call for baking it, but I stuck with the guidance of Gary & Auntie - who just made a batch themselves at New Years.