Polynesian earth oven (umu / hangi / imu)
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Origin
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Description
The earth oven — umu in Samoa, hangi in Aotearoa New Zealand, imu in Hawaii, lovo in Fiji — is the foundational cooking method across Polynesia. A pit is dug, volcanic rocks heated in a fire, food placed on the rocks, covered with leaves (banana, ti, taro), and buried with earth. The food cooks through radiant heat from the rocks and trapped steam from wet leaves for 3-8 hours. The result is smoky, tender, with a distinctive earthy mineral flavour that no above-ground method can replicate.
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The Thread
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Flavour Context
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Pillars V — VII
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