In Tahiti and the islands, as here in Moorea, big family reunions are an opportunity to prepare the traditional “ahima’a”.
Tressage des paniers avec la grande soeur Weaving of the baskets with sister
For our daughter’s wedding, the whole family gathered to help with the huge preparation work.
“Ahima’a” is the name given to the Tahitian oven, which consists of a hole dug in the ground for cooking the dish. It is also the name of the dish itself.
Volcano stones, which don’t explode when heated, are placed at the bottom of the oven hole. Then a layer of wood such as aito (iron wood) is set on the stones as it burns for a long time, and allows the stones to warm. When the wood has burnt, the food is placed in the oven.
The fei (orange bananas to cook), the uru (bread fruit) and the poe are put in baskets which women have plaited. The fafa chicken and the pua cabbage are prepared in cooking-pots and put in the oven as well. And, of course, there is the pig, an indispensable element of a good ahima’a.
When everything is in place, the oven is covered with flattened banana stems followed by jute bags. The hole is then covered with sand, and the food cooks slowly for hours.
The coconut milk, which is added to the raw fish and the po’e, is prepared shortly before the dishes are put on the table. The day before, the coconut is put to fermentation in order to obtain the mitihue.