![]() Kūlolo, a pudding made from taro and coconut milk | |
Alternative names | Piele, piepiele |
---|---|
Type | Pudding |
Course | Dessert |
Place of origin | Hawaii |
Serving temperature | Fresh; room temperature |
Main ingredients | Taro, coconut |
Ingredients generally used | Sugar |
Variations | Piele, pepeieʻe |
Similar dishes | Kōʻelepālau, haupia |
Kūlolo is a Hawaiian dish made with taro and coconut. Considered a pudding, kūlolo has a chewy and solid consistency like fudge or Southeast Asian dodol, with a flavor similar to caramel or Chinese nian gao. [1] [2] Because taro is widely cultivated on the island of Kauai, taro products such as kūlolo is often associated with the island. [3] It is a well-beloved dish well documented by many non-Hawaiians since the late 1800s, [4] sometimes found during festive occasions like at lūʻau. [5] [6] [7]
The Hawaiian word kūlolo is a cognate of the Eastern Polynesian term "roro" which describes "brains matter, bone marrow; spongy matter," [8] which itself is derived from Nuclear Polynesian "lolo" which describes "coconut cream or oil", [9] while "kū" is a qualitative and stative prefix. [10]
Traditional kūlolo recipes call for wrapping a mixture of grated taro and coconut cream in ti leaves and baking it in an imu (underground oven) for 6 to 8 hours. Modern recipes call for baking the mixture in a baking pan in an oven, [11] or steaming in a pressure cooker. [12]
Piele (antiquated piepiele) [13] is another name associated with puddings made in a similar manner to kūlolo. [14] [15] It also refers to the grated or pulverized raw ingredients—including taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, yam, or banana—that are mixed with coconut milk to make this dish. [16] Pepeieʻe (or paipaieʻe) is a baked pudding made from the overripe fruits of banana or breadfruit mixed with coconut milk. [17] Kōʻelepālau is a similar pudding made with sweet potato and coconut milk. However, the coconut milk is added after the sweet potatoes are cooked separately. [18]
While kūlolo remains fairly popular, it is unclear why piele and pepeieʻe fell out of favor in modern times. All these puddings, including kōʻelepālau and haupia, were well-documented throughout the late 1800s to early 1900s, [19] [20] [21] including by the famed author Robert Louis Stevenson during his visits. [22]
A powdered kūlolo mix using dehydrated taro powder is available for those who do not have access to fresh taro. [23] Kūlolo is also found as a filling in lumpia, as an accompaniment to, and as a flavor for, ice cream. [24] [25] [26]
![]() Kūlolo, a pudding made from taro and coconut milk | |
Alternative names | Piele, piepiele |
---|---|
Type | Pudding |
Course | Dessert |
Place of origin | Hawaii |
Serving temperature | Fresh; room temperature |
Main ingredients | Taro, coconut |
Ingredients generally used | Sugar |
Variations | Piele, pepeieʻe |
Similar dishes | Kōʻelepālau, haupia |
Kūlolo is a Hawaiian dish made with taro and coconut. Considered a pudding, kūlolo has a chewy and solid consistency like fudge or Southeast Asian dodol, with a flavor similar to caramel or Chinese nian gao. [1] [2] Because taro is widely cultivated on the island of Kauai, taro products such as kūlolo is often associated with the island. [3] It is a well-beloved dish well documented by many non-Hawaiians since the late 1800s, [4] sometimes found during festive occasions like at lūʻau. [5] [6] [7]
The Hawaiian word kūlolo is a cognate of the Eastern Polynesian term "roro" which describes "brains matter, bone marrow; spongy matter," [8] which itself is derived from Nuclear Polynesian "lolo" which describes "coconut cream or oil", [9] while "kū" is a qualitative and stative prefix. [10]
Traditional kūlolo recipes call for wrapping a mixture of grated taro and coconut cream in ti leaves and baking it in an imu (underground oven) for 6 to 8 hours. Modern recipes call for baking the mixture in a baking pan in an oven, [11] or steaming in a pressure cooker. [12]
Piele (antiquated piepiele) [13] is another name associated with puddings made in a similar manner to kūlolo. [14] [15] It also refers to the grated or pulverized raw ingredients—including taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, yam, or banana—that are mixed with coconut milk to make this dish. [16] Pepeieʻe (or paipaieʻe) is a baked pudding made from the overripe fruits of banana or breadfruit mixed with coconut milk. [17] Kōʻelepālau is a similar pudding made with sweet potato and coconut milk. However, the coconut milk is added after the sweet potatoes are cooked separately. [18]
While kūlolo remains fairly popular, it is unclear why piele and pepeieʻe fell out of favor in modern times. All these puddings, including kōʻelepālau and haupia, were well-documented throughout the late 1800s to early 1900s, [19] [20] [21] including by the famed author Robert Louis Stevenson during his visits. [22]
A powdered kūlolo mix using dehydrated taro powder is available for those who do not have access to fresh taro. [23] Kūlolo is also found as a filling in lumpia, as an accompaniment to, and as a flavor for, ice cream. [24] [25] [26]