Poi
intro
Smooth, gently tangy traditional Native Hawaiian staple made from steamed, pounded taro root, with a creamy texture ideal for pairing with savory island dishes.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the taro corms
Scrub 900g fresh taro corms thoroughly under cool running water with a stiff vegetable brush to remove all surface dirt. Wear disposable gloves to avoid skin irritation from calcium oxalate, then peel the tough outer skin with a sharp paring knife and cut corms into uniform 5cm (2-inch) chunks for even cooking.
Steam the taro chunks
Place cut taro chunks in a steamer basket set over a pot of rapidly boiling water, ensuring water does not touch the base of the basket. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium to maintain a steady gentle boil, and steam for 40-45 minutes, until taro is completely tender with no hard core when pierced with a fork.
Pound cooked taro
Transfer hot, fully cooked taro chunks to a large sturdy wooden bowl. Use a heavy wooden pestle or potato masher to pound the taro for 5 minutes, pressing out every lump until you achieve a thick, completely smooth, grain-free paste.
Thin to desired consistency
Gradually stir in 360ml (1.5 cups) of room temperature filtered water into the pounded taro, mixing continuously with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining 120ml (0.5 cups) water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired thickness: thick 'one-finger' poi holds its shape when scooped, while thinner 'three-finger' poi is easily pourable.
Ferment for tangy flavor
Transfer mixed poi to a clean glass jar, leaving 2.5cm (1 inch) of headspace to allow for expansion. Set the lid loosely on the jar (to let fermentation gases escape) and rest at cool room temperature (18-21C / 65-70F) for 12-24 hours, tasting every 6 hours, until it develops a mild tang similar to plain yogurt.
Chill before serving
Once fermented to your taste, seal the jar tightly and refrigerate poi for a minimum of 2 hours to chill. Stir thoroughly before serving, adding 1-2 tablespoons of cold water if the poi has thickened in the fridge, and serve alongside grilled or roasted savory island dishes.
Tips
2.Skip the 12-24 hour room temperature fermentation step if you prefer fresh, sweet poi; freshly pounded, thinned taro is ready to eat immediately after cooking for a milder, non-tangy flavor.
3.Store leftover poi in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; stir in 1-2 tablespoons of cold water before each serving to restore its smooth, creamy texture if it thickens while chilled.
OMG I grew up eating poi at my grandma’s lūʻaus on Maui and was so nervous to make it myself for our family potluck last weekend! This recipe was SO easy to follow, even the fermentation step didn’t feel intimidating. My kids loved it, they kept dipping their kalua pork bites straight into the bowl before we even sat down for dinner. Game changer, will be making this on regular rotation now!
First time ever trying poi, I made this to go with our smoked kalua pork for a backyard tiki night with the neighbors. I will say I was super skeptical at first because the texture is so different from anything I usually make, but after the 18 hour ferment it had that nice subtle tang everyone was raving about. Only knock is I over-mashed it at first so it was a little gluey, totally my bad though. Will definitely adjust that next time.
Added this to my weekly meal prep rotation and I am obsessed! I portion it out with lomi lomi salmon and some grilled chicken for easy work lunches, and it holds up so well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I did the full 24 hour ferment for extra tang and it is chef’s kiss. So easy to throw together even on a busy Sunday, the long cook time is totally hands off so I could fold laundry and help the kids with homework while it went. 10/10!
I was really excited to try this but I think I messed up the fermentation? I left it on the counter for 20 hours and it had a really sharp, almost sour taste that I wasn’t expecting, and the color was a little grayish? Did I do something wrong? I used taro root from my local Asian market, not sure if that was the issue.
Brought this to our office potluck yesterday and people were lined up to try it! So many of my coworkers had never had poi before and were shocked how much they loved it with the kalua pork sliders I brought. I did a 16 hour ferment and it was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, not too thick, not too runny. Such a fun, unique dish to bring to a gathering when you’re sick of the same old pasta salad and chips!
As someone who’s gluten free and always looking for easy, whole food side dishes, this is an absolute dream! No weird additives, just taro and water, that’s it. I love that I can adjust the thickness to my liking – I make mine a little thinner so it’s almost like a porridge for breakfast sometimes, topped with a little coconut sugar and mango. Obsessed doesn’t even cover it, SO good.
Super easy recipe for a college dorm cook! I made this in my tiny rice cooker (no fancy steamer needed, worked perfectly) and left it on my desk to ferment for 14 hours and it turned out pretty good! My roommates thought I was weird for mushing up a random purple root vegetable but they all tried it and agreed it was actually pretty tasty, especially with the spam musubi I made to go with it. Only downside is my whole dorm room smelled like taro for two days, oops.