Chef Makoa
Popoi Mā (Marquesan Fermented Breadfruit Paste)
Marquesan popoi starts as mā, breadfruit kept sour in the old pit tradition, then pounded smooth with coconut cream until it sits soft, tangy, and ready for the whole table.
Culinary Explorer
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Taro ʻEnana (Marquesan Roasted Taro)
Created by
Whole taro roasted firm the Marquesan way, peeled warm, salted simply, and served beside fish with fresh miti haari, the coconut sauce that keeps the table generous.
Side Dishes
Polynesian
Comfort Food
Weeknight
Make Ahead
15 min
Active Time
1 hr 10 min cook•1 hr 25 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings
The first thing I learned in Henua ʻEnana, the Marquesas, is that the valleys speak before the cook does. High ridges, dark-rock bays, breadfruit trees heavy over the houses, and under all that, taro still feeding the hand that knows when to pull it. This is Marquesan food, not Tahitian, not a blur called Polynesian. Taro ʻEnana belongs to the people of those rugged eastern islands, where mei, breadfruit, is the great starch heart, and taro stands beside it like the steady cousin who never needs to make noise.
Back home in Hawaiʻi I sit with kalo as Hāloa, our elder brother, and I don't pretend the Marquesan deep parts are mine to teach. I cook this open-handed. The old people of Henua ʻEnana should tell you the ceremony, the feast, the Festival des Marquises, and the umu kai, the Marquesan earth oven, in their own voices. What I can tell you is the kinship: one ocean, one canoe, one root. The same canoe crops that fed Hawaiʻi, Sāmoa, Tonga, the Cooks, Tahiti, Aotearoa, and Rapa Nui fed these valleys too, each island keeping its own hand.
This taro is not mashed fancy, not dressed up past recognition. It is roasted in embers when you have the fire, or boiled whole when you have the pot, then peeled and served firm beside grilled or roasted fish, wild pig, goat, or whatever your table actually has. Eat what you have. Salt it while warm, spoon over fresh miti haari, coconut sauce, and let the taro taste like itself. No blame the taro. If it is dry, give it sauce. If it is young and sweet, leave it mostly alone.
Henua ʻEnana, the Marquesas, sits in the far eastern reach of the Polynesian Triangle, settled by voyagers who carried canoe crops such as taro, breadfruit, coconut, banana, and sweet potato across open ocean. Unlike many Polynesian islands where taro sits at the center, the Marquesas are famous as a breadfruit heartland, with mei feeding whole valleys and taro serving as a firm everyday starch beside fish and meat. The umu kai, the Marquesan earth oven, belongs to the same deep oven family as the Hawaiian imu, Sāmoan and Tongan umu, Tahitian ahimaʻa, Cook Islands umukai, Māori hāngī, and Rapa Nui umu pae, but its ceremonial knowledge belongs to Marquesan elders.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
small to medium taro corms
Quantity
2 pounds
scrubbed well
coarse sea salt
Quantity
1 tablespoon
plus more to finish
water
Quantity
as needed
for boiling if using the pot method
neutral oil or coconut oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
for the oven-roast method
fresh coconut cream or thick coconut milk
Quantity
1 cup
for miti haari
fresh coconut (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
finely grated
lime juice
Quantity
2 tablespoons
garlic clove
Quantity
1 small
finely grated
fresh chile (optional)
Quantity
1 small
seeded and finely chopped
green onion
Quantity
2 tablespoons
sliced
sea salt
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| small to medium taro cormsscrubbed well | 2 pounds |
| coarse sea saltplus more to finish | 1 tablespoon |
| waterfor boiling if using the pot method | as needed |
| neutral oil or coconut oilfor the oven-roast method | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh coconut cream or thick coconut milkfor miti haari | 1 cup |
| fresh coconut (optional)finely grated | 2 tablespoons |
| lime juice | 2 tablespoons |
| garlic clovefinely grated | 1 small |
| fresh chile (optional)seeded and finely chopped | 1 small |
| green onionsliced | 2 tablespoons |
| sea salt | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy rimmed sheet pan or covered grill for roasting
- •Large 6-quart pot for boiling
- •Skewer or thin knife for testing doneness
- •Coconut scraper or fine grater if squeezing fresh coconut cream
Instructions
- 1
Scrub the taro
Scrub the taro corms well under running water, keeping the skin on. Trim only any dry or bruised ends. Taro can irritate the skin when raw, so use gloves if your hands are sensitive, and don't taste it raw. The cook is what makes it kind.
- 2
Choose the fire
For the old fire feeling without an umu kai, heat the oven to 400F. Rub the whole taro with oil and salt, set it on a leaf-lined or parchment-lined pan, and roast until a skewer slides in with a little resistance, 55 to 70 minutes. You want firm and done, not collapsed. In Henua ʻEnana this starch stands beside the fish, so let it keep its body.
If you have a covered grill with hardwood coals, roast the taro near the embers, not in direct flame, turning now and then until the skin darkens and the inside gives. - 3
Or boil whole
For the pot method, put the whole scrubbed taro in a large pot, cover with water by an inch, and add the tablespoon of coarse salt. Simmer gently, not hard, 35 to 50 minutes depending on size, until a knife enters cleanly but the corm still feels firm. Drain well and let the surface dry a few minutes.
- 4
Mix miti haari
While the taro cooks, stir together the fresh coconut cream, grated coconut if using, lime juice, garlic, chile if you want heat, green onion, and salt. Miti haari, coconut sauce, should taste bright, rich, and a little salty, enough to wake the plain taro without covering it. Squeeze the coconut fresh if you can. A can will do on a weeknight, no shame, but fresh has the fuller breath.
- 5
Peel while warm
When the taro is cool enough to handle, pull or scrape away the skin. Cut the corms into thick wedges or rounds. The flesh should be pale, dense, and clean-smelling, with a quiet earthy sweetness. If one piece is still chalky in the center, put it back to cook. No blame the taro. It needed more time.
- 6
Salt and serve
Lay the warm taro on banana or ti leaf, sprinkle with a little sea salt, and spoon some miti haari over the top. Serve the rest of the sauce in a coconut shell or wooden bowl. This belongs beside fish, roasted pork, wild goat, or a simple pot of greens. Deep food is not fancy. It is enough.
Chef Tips
- •Use small to medium taro when you can. Very large corms can be woody or uneven, and the center may stay chalky while the outside gets too soft.
- •Taro must be fully cooked. Raw or undercooked taro can bite the throat because of calcium oxalate crystals, so give it the time it asks for.
- •The Marquesas are breadfruit country. If mei, breadfruit, is what you have, roast it the same spirit and serve it beside the taro, not as a substitute pretending to be the same thing.
- •Miti haari should be made close to the table. Fresh coconut cream can separate and sour if it sits too long, so mix it the day you serve.
- •Leftover taro is good food. Slice it, pan-brown it the next day, and eat it with the last spoonful of sauce or with eggs and rice. Keeper, not gatekeeper.
Advance Preparation
- •The taro can be roasted or boiled up to 2 days ahead, peeled, cooled, and refrigerated whole or in large pieces. Warm gently before serving so the texture stays dense and clean.
- •Mix the dry and aromatic parts of the miti haari a few hours ahead, but add fresh coconut cream and lime close to serving.
- •For a weeknight table, cook the taro the night before, then slice and warm it in a covered pan with a spoonful of water before saucing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 240g)
Calories
385 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
15 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
3 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
600 mg
Total Carbohydrates
52 g
Dietary Fiber
8 g
Sugars
3 g
Protein
4 g
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