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EveryParampara

Umu

The underground oven of the Pacific, used for feasts on special days.

A pattern drawn for this page, not a picture of Umu.

Also: hangi, lovo, earth oven

The umu is a pit oven in which food is cooked by hot stones buried under the earth. A fire is lit in a pit to heat river stones, the food is wrapped in leaves or cloth and laid on top, and then covered with earth to cook for hours. In New Zealand it is called hangi, in Fiji lovo, in Samoa umu, and in Hawaii imu. Pork, chicken, fish, taro, kumara and breadfruit are cooked, and the food gains a smoky taste. The preparation is a communal task for weddings, funerals and welcomes, and the opening of the pit is a moment of excitement.

Region: Oceania

See also

KavaHongiPowhiri

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