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Samoan Material Culture

Leaf covers

page 102

Leaf covers

The general term for the covering leaves is tau. They are put on in three layers. 1. The layer immediately above the food (tau) is composed of green leaves not previously used. The leaves in common use are those of the banana, breadfruit, the species of talo known as ta'amu and the laufao. Women may often be met returning from the bush with bundles of short lengths of banana leaves or other leaves for oven covers. 2. The next layer (tau vela) is composed of leaves which have been used before and are thus cooked (vela).

Figure 66.—Leaf oven cover (tau veve):

Figure 66.—Leaf oven cover (tau veve):

two leaves are used together as a single element to thicken the cover. In the figure they are shown as single leaves for clearness. a, One set of two or even three leaves is used as the central foundation indicated by the dotted outline. With a pointed stick a hole is made through the leaves towards the outer edge, and the stalks of two leaves (1) are passed through. A second hole is pierced in such a position that it passes through the edges of the first added pair as well as through the foundation leaves below, and the stalks of a second pair (2) passed through. A third (3) and fourth pair (4) are added in a similar manner to the second so that the four pairs are evenly distributed around the foundation leaves. b, Under surface. The leaves are turned over to expose the under foundation leaves with stalks of the four pairs projecting through. c, Under surface. A pair of stalks (1) is brought to the inner side of a neighboring pair (2) and twisted around it twice from within out. The stalks around which the twists have been made are bent down to the inner side of the next pair (3) and twisted around it in a similar manner. The third pair follows a similar technique with regard to the fourth pair (4). As the first pair has already been bent down, the fourth pair must be passed under it and twisted twice around it leaving the stalk ends to the outer side. After each twisting of the stalks, the stalk ends are left to the outer side so that the bending down of the next pair fixes them effectively to the foundation leaves, while the twisting of the last pair locks them in position. The process is continued by turning the leaves over to expose the upper surface when the stalks of another set are pushed through holes made through the first set of four pairs. The circumference being greater, more leaves are used in the second set. When the circuit is completed, the leaves are turned over and the stalks fixed on the under surface in the same manner as in the first set. Three or four sets of leaves form a sufficiently large cover. This particular form of tau veve cover is also called a tui veve (tui, to sew together).

It is well to note here that vela means cooked, not warm, as in most parts of Polynesia. Warm or hot is vevela. When fresh leaves have been used once, they are not discarded, but are kept as tau vela for the second layer. They are also used as lining and covers for the baskets to contain cooked food. 3. The outer cover (tau veve) consists of leaves which are sewn together to form larger covers. The method of attaching them together is the same as in the Cook Islands. (See fig. 66.)

page 103

Another form of cover is made by packing the fallen leaves of the breadfruit into the round type of coconut leaflet basket ('ato fili tolu). The basket of leaves is flattened down and makes an effective cover.

Earth is never used to cover over the usual cooking oven. In fact, the leaf covers of the tau veve and basket type are not often used. An extra thickness of the second layer is sufficient for most purposes. Sacks are now employed. No attempt is made to hermetically seal the oven, as the Samoans prefer some of the heat to escape through the interstices between the leaves. Otherwise the food is held to become stodgy and not to the taste of the Samoan palate. For a similar reason, the oven is not left covered for more than about an hour.

The Samoan method of cooking is by dry heat. No water is sprinkled over the stones or the food. What moisture there is, the food contains. The New Zealand method employs water which is sprinkled over the hot stones before the food is put on, and over the food after it is placed on the stones. Quantities of steam arise, but the cover mats are quickly put on, and the whole covered with earth to keep the steam in. The food is thus steam cooked. The Cook Islands method resembles the Samoan in not using water.

The act of opening up the oven is fu'e. Pigs, which are always cooked whole, are carried into the guest house whole. The vegetables and smaller packages are gathered up in coconut leaflet baskets of the 'ato fili tasi type. The food is always carried to the other houses in these baskets which are therefore also termed 'ato fu'e umu. The leaves from the first covering layer of the oven are used to line the bottom of the basket and as a cover for the food. They are then termed afei.

Earth was used to cover up the whole oven in the umu ti in which the underground stems of the ti (Cordylinc terminalis) were cooked. It was also used in the very large ovens made during war. Gravel was used by Leutongi-tupaitea to cook the chestnuts (ifi) dropped by the bats on the rocky islet where she was marooned. This incident gave origin to the chief's title of Tau-i-iliili (the oven cover of gravel).