Hamilton Gardens visitors enjoy hangi with new season kumara

Visitors to the Hamilton Gardens were treated to a hangi at the weekend as new season kumara were harvested at the Te Parapara garden.

Wiremu Puke, who took a leading role in the construction of the garden, said around 50 guests were invited to enjoy the meal but the day was open to the public as well.

‘’Whoever turns up on the day gets the benefit of kai time,’’ he said.

Mr Puke was joined by his whanau and members of the public in the preparations and used traditional tools to harvest six varieties of kumara.

They prepared the hangi onsite, which was a favourite with tour groups, and cooked the kumara with pork, chicken and pumpkin for the growing number of guests.

‘’Kai is always the thing that brings people together,’’ he said.

It has been a difficult growing season, leading to a poor crop compared to last year, but for Mr Puke the kumara is secondary to hosting his guests.

‘’Sometimes to enjoy the kumara is to enjoy the people who come.’’

Kumara was highly valued in pre-European times and Te Parapara garden was established to revive ancient Maori cultural practices and cultivation methods.

Crops are grown in mounds to get the full benefit of the sun and are harvested by two people to reduce the risk of damaging the kumara.

‘’This morning we were using the ko, the ketu and tools that you just don’t see,’’ he said. “They don’t bruise the kumara. That’s the main reason why I prefer them.’

‘’In time we’ll incorporate karakia and use haka ko while tilling and cultivating the garden to ensure we don’t lose the skill.’’

Mr Puke wants to compare traditional cultivation methods with modern thinking but the most important thing is that people take an interest in traditional Maori gardening methods.

‘’If you get a few people interested, you’ll get many interested but it usually starts with a single step in the journey.’’

Glossary

Haka ko – A chant sung while digging.
Kai – Food, to eat.
Karakia – Prayer.
Ketu – Short handled digging tool.
Ko – Long handled digging tool (spade).

Check out this photo slide of the Kumara Harvest: http://photopeach.com/album/19i6hq5