Miti hue is a traditional sauce in Polynesian cuisine made from the flesh of the coconut and salt water mixed together and fermented.
| Alternative names | Hami, Samilolo, Tähroro, Tai monomono |
|---|---|
| Type | Condiment |
| Place of origin | Polynesia |
| Region or state | American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Rotuma, Samoa, Tonga |
| Main ingredients | Coconut, Brine |
Preparation
editMiti hue is prepared from the young coconut known as 'omoto, a stage where the flesh of the green coconut starts to harden and begins losing its water. The flesh of the 'omoto is cut into pieces and placed in a calabash vessel, with salt water and the heads of freshwater prawns. The mixture is left in the sun for a few days to ferment.[1][2] Miti hue is served as an accompaniment to traditional Tahitian dishes, most notably the fermented fish dish Fafaru.[3] The preparation of Tai monomono is also similar to Miti hue, though crushed crustaceans are entirely absent from the recipe.[4] Flavourings like lemon, lime and chilli can also be added to Tai monomono, with the addition of chilli being known as Tai oporo.[5][6]
Fermented coconut sauce is also eaten in Tonga, the Samoan islands and the Polynesian island of Rotuma, but the process differs from Miti hue as the sauce is a byproduct of converting coconut shells into containers, a practice that was common in the West Polynesian islands.[7] A mature coconut has a hole drilled into it and the water inside the nut is removed, replaced with sea water. A stopper is placed into the hole and is left to ferment for a few weeks, resulting the inner flesh breaking down into a gruel.[8][9]
Names
edit- Cook Islands: Tai monomono
- French Polynesia: Miti hue
- Rotuma: Tähroro
- Samoa and American Samoa: Samilolo[10]
- Tonga: Hami
See also
edit
- Taioro – A fermented paste made from coconut meat, eaten in Oceania.
References
edit- ^ O ́Brien, Frederick (1921). Mystic Isles of the South Seas. Outlook Verlag. p. 214. ISBN 9783732683284.
- ^ "Miti Hue (Tahiti)". BigOven. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ "Fafaru - Gastro Obscura". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ "Moina Tai – Coconut cream sauce - Cook Islands Recipes". www.ck. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
- ^ Jeanne Jacob, Michael Ashkenazi (2014). The World Cookbook: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe, 2nd Edition [4 Volumes]: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe. ABC-CLIO. p. 306. ISBN 9781610694698.
- ^ "Moina Tai – Coconut cream sauce - Cook Islands Recipes". www.ck. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
- ^ "Food – Ethnology of Tokelau Islands". NZETC - New Zealand Electronic Text Collection. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Fatiaki, Anselmo (1991). Rotuma, Hanuạ Pumue. University of the South Pacific. Institute of Pacific Studies. p. 2. ISBN 9789820200357.
- ^ Thomas Pritchard, William (1866). Polynesian Reminiscences: Or, Life in the South Pacific Islands. Chapman and Hall. p. 126. ISBN 9780712902878.
- ^ "Protoform: SAMI [PN] ??". POLLEX-Online.