are omnipresent at the core of Polynesian gastronomy uru (see last month's recipe), ufi, taro, along with fafa and umara (sweet potatoes). We are a long way from tomaotoes, zucchinis, carots, beans or cabbage ! But Tahiti and her island have lived so long and so far apart from other civilizations, that its local "vegetables" have survived to this day. And even today to accompany fish and meat, taro has no equal. As to fafa, our tropical spinach, once you've tastes them, you'll find " Popeye's leaves » rather tasteless.

 

 Polynesian tuber vegetables: Taro and Tarua

related to Araceans, taro is a staple food, along with coconut and uru of the ancient Polynesians. Many varieties of taro are still found around our islands, which have for ever been a favorite Polynesian food to accompany meat and fish. Easy to grow in swampy land, taro fileds, taro is somewhat related to black radish. To create your own tarofield, all it takes is cutting young shoots from old plants, to plant them in 20cm (10") holes in the mud and wait; nature will do the rest. The root is used as such, but young leaves called potaare also eaten. Marquesans keep taro after cooking through reducing it to a fermented and seasoned paste they call popoi. Found everywhere in any ahimaa (Tahitian oven), taro can also be used as a basis to poe a much apppreciated dessert with a sweet after taste.

 

  Fafa

… Fafa comes from a variety of taro, more likely to give nice tasty leaves. It is more commonly called "Polynesian spinach", because only its leaves and young shoots are eaten. Rich in minerals, iron and calcium, fafa leaves must be cook for a long time in salted water (with lemon for those who like their vegetable slightly bitter), to avoid a slight irritation on the tongue after eating them. Fafa is traditionally served with chicken (see recipe), but can also be served with pork, if not fish. Rntly, veal stewed with fafa brought happiness to some adventurous guests.

 

 Recipe:   Authentic Fafa and Coconut Chicken

 

 600 g of fafa (about 50 to 60 leaves),

 6 large chicken thighs,

35 cl of grated coconut,

 4 onions - 3 limes - 2 garlic cloves

 1 chicken bouillon (cube),

 10 g of maïzena (starch) - hot curry,

 1 fresh ginger root,

 salt, pepper.

 

 Starte with washing the fafa leaves and removing the hardest portions. Mince them finely and cook for 1/4 hour in water with lime and salt. Drip dry and cool off.

 Peel the onions and dice them along with the ginger.

 Cut the chicken thighs in two or three portions depending on size.

 Heat uo a liter of water with chicken bouillon and bouquet garni.

 Bring back the onion and ginger in a pot. Then add the pieces of chicken, the garlic and slowly brown them.

 When they are brown, add leaves of pre cooked fafa along with the rest of lime juice. Salt and pepper, then add curry and the starch.

 Slowly stir so it won't stick this for 5 minutes, while regularly wetting with the bouillon.

 Cover and simmer for 40 mn on slow fire.

 Prepare the coconut milk. Plan for two doses, one to thicken the chicken sauce, the other one to cover the dish before serving.

 After cooking, take out the pieces of chicken from the pot along with fafa, thicken the juice with coconut milk without boiling.

 Once the sauce is reduced to half, add chicken and fafa while cooking 5 more minutes on slow fire.

 Serve on a large dish.