Legalize It! Another win for slow foods and cultural practices.
My rejoicing is also selfish, I can’t wait to taste/buy this poi.
Poi Pounder On Codifying A Cultural Art
flickr: 4nitsirk
UPDATED 5/23/11 12:45 p.m.
Today, few people in Hawaii continue to make poi the traditional way, using board and stone. But with the Legislature’s passage of the Senate Bill 101 , better known as the poi bill, what began as one man’s art has been transformed into a legal recognition of an ancient cultural tradition.
The story of the poi bill is largely the story of Daniel Anthony. He is the public face of the bill, which exempts the preparation of hand-pounded poi from certain Department of Health requirements regarding food safety, if certain conditions are met.
After passing both the House and Senate unanimously, it awaits the governor’s signature.
Anthony, 33, pounded 15,000 pounds of taro last year, which yields about 7,000 pounds of pa’i’ai. He ate about 1,000 pounds of it, gave away about 3,000 pounds and sold about 3,000 pounds — that is, before the Health Department caught up with him.
After that, he and a small group who practice traditional methods of pa’i’ai got together to talk about legalizing their poi.
Despite some struggles at the Legislature, the poi bill is the result.
“I believe this bill is one of the first victories for the taro community in a really long time,” Anthony told Civil Beat. “We need to continue to educate and pound away.”
via Honolulu Civil Beat – Poi Pounder On Codifying A Cultural Art – Post.
Read the rest at Civil Beat…
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