Two Hawaiian Men Posing over poi
Author's Personal Collection
Undated postcard showing 2 Hawaiian men posing over poi. Poi was considered such an important and sacred aspect of daily Hawaiian life that Hawaiians believed that the spirit of Hāloa, the legendary ancestor of the Hawaiian people, was present when a bowl of poi was uncovered for consumption at the family dinner table. Accordingly, all conflict among family members was required to come to an immediate halt. Wikipedia
![For reference only: A bowl of poi.
Water is added to the paste during mashing, and again just before eating, to achieve the desired consistency, which can range from highly viscous to liquid. In Hawaii, this is informally classified as either "one-finger", "two-finger", or "three-finger", alluding to how many fingers are required to scoop it up (the thicker the poi, the fewer fingers required to scoop a sufficient mouthful).[4]
Poi can be eaten immediately, when fresh and sweet, or left to ferment and become sour, developing a smell reminiscent of plain yogurt.
Wikipedia Reference nos.](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/10756/a0611dd0-9673-11f0-a776-9b2aa6f1e09a-vXoFHOf.lg@2x.jpg)