Learning about how various cultures across the globe preserved & fermented foods has become one of my favorite pastimes. The latest: Hawaiian poi! I’ll make it clear right off the bat that I, a Minnesotan, am not making traditional poi, since I cannot seem to access taro root in our small town. So what we’re doing here is the mainland adaptation of poi, made with sweet potato.
Traditionally, poi is made with taro root, a tuber that grows well across the tropics. The taro plants are cooked, mashed with a mortar and pestle into a paste, and water is added. You can eat poi fresh if you like, but typically it is fermented on the counter, adding a bit of a sour taste and a lot of health benefits! Both traditional poi and our midwestern sweet potato poi version make amazing baby food- it can also be used as a spread for crackers or bread, and the Hawaiians add poi to a variety of dishes, including kalua pork.
I’ll include the instructions for making poi the real way (with taro) below as well-there aren’t many differences, except the key ingredient!
Tools & Equipment for Hawaiian Poi Recipe
- Baking sheet
- Large pot or bowl
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Immersion blender- optional, but I think it improves the texture
- Potato masher or stone pestle & mortar (the traditional option!)
Ingredients for Hawaiian Poi Recipe
- Sweet potatoes: your preferred variety!
- Sea salt or kosher salt– a Hawaiian poi recipe won’t always call for salt, but salt, sugar or soy sauce can be added! Salt is also an important part of the fermentation process.
- Whey: this is your starter culture- traditional poi is generally fermented on its own at room temperature, without the culture but whey is very effective at introducing a bunch of healthy bacterial strains!
To make traditional poi (with taro):
- Taro root
- Water: taro plants are very starchy, so this will be added to your desired consistency!
The Process
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Poke the sweet potatoes several times each with a fork. Roast about two hours, or until very soft.
Let the potatoes cool until you can handle them, then peel them and place them in a large bowl.
Mash thoroughly and add the salt and whey and mix well.
If you want, use an immersion blender to blend the sweet potato mixture to a smoother consistency!
Cover the bowl and leave on the counter at room temperature for about 24 hours, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge.
If using taro root, roast and mash according to the same instructions, then add a little water at a time until it reaches your desired consistency! Traditionally, poi is often eaten with just one’s fingers, and it is named according to how many fingers you need to use to scoop it- three-finger poi is much thinner than one-finger poi.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Make Whey?
Whey is the liquid that separates from dairy products (the curds are the solid, hence “curds and whey”.) Whey consists of water, proteins, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria. It is a highly effective starter culture, used by many to ferment a variety of foods. You have two easy options to extract your whey:
Extracting Whey from Plain Yogurt
This is the universally friendly option (I recognize that not everyone invests in many gallons of raw milk every month). Choose a decent quality, live culture plain yogurt and place two cups of it inside a cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth and hang it from a cupboard handle, with a bowl underneath to collect liquid. Let it hang for 4-8 hours, and then put the whey in the fridge.
Extracting Whey From Raw Milk
For those of us that DO make frequent trips out to the farm for our raw milk fix, this is an easy option, though slower than the yogurt one. Pour raw milk in a jar, loosely cover it and leave it to sit at room temperature. After 5-7 days, the solids and liquids will have separated. Pour the contents of the jar through a strainer to collect the whey.
Hawaiian Poi Recipe- Sweet Potato Version
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 cup 4 Tbsp whey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Poke the sweet potatoes several times each with a fork. Roast about two hours, or until very soft.
- Let the potatoes cool until you can handle them, then peel them and place them in a large bowl.
- Mash thoroughly and add the salt and whey and mix well.
- If you want, use an immersion blender to blend the sweet potato mixture to a smoother consistency!
- Cover the bowl and leave on the counter at room temperature for about 24 hours, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Pin Hawaiian Poi Recipe for later:
More recipes to try:
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went in the comments! If you share on Instagram, please tag me at @sisuhomemaker. And I always love to hear from you- send questions, comments, concerns, etc to carol@sisuhomemaker.com!
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