How to make a Hangi

This week we have been writing explanations. I found it interesting that only the men do the cooking. Here is my explanation that tells how a hangi is made.

How to make a hangi

A hangi is a traditional Maori way to cook food. Different cultures have different kinds of cooking their food. An interesting fact is that only the men are aloud to put the hangi into the ground.

When a hangi is being prepared the first step is to dig a pit in the ground. While they are digging the pit people are preparing the food to go in the ground. Timber and irons are burned and the irons are placed in the middle so they can heat up and cook the kai.

While the fire is burning a karakia is said to protect the environment and the native trees,  make sure the food tastes nice and to bless the food.

They break down the fire by digging out the ashes to remove some embers.This stops the food being too smoky and acrid. The food gets wrapped in cabbage leaves.This keeps food from drying out and keep the dirt out.Wrapped food is put into the baskets and put into the pit.  Meat goes in first because it takes longest to cook, then the baskets with the vegetables are placed on top.

Cabbage leaves and sacks are soaked in water and are put on the hot irons. The baskets are covered with wet sacks to keep dirt from falling onto the food, then finally covered with a canvas. The food is cooked  for 3 or 4 hours before they they remove the sacks. Men work quickly to remove the food from the pit.