Māori potatoes facts for kids
Māori potatoes or taewa are special types of potatoes grown by Māori people in New Zealand. These are the traditional kinds, especially those grown before British settlers arrived.
Māori have been growing potatoes for over 200 years. The word "taewa" covers several old varieties. Some well-known ones include Karuparerā, Huakaroro, and Moemoe. These traditional potatoes are often smaller and more colourful than the modern types you see today. Modern potatoes are called pārete by Māori. Other names for traditional Māori potatoes are rīwai and parareka.
Māori potatoes are a key ingredient in a special Māori bread called rēwena bread.
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Where Taewa Came From
Potatoes originally came from the Andes mountains in South America. They were brought to Europe in the 1400s.
Māori stories say that taewa were grown in New Zealand even before Europeans first visited. However, many historians believe that James Cook introduced potatoes to New Zealand in 1769. Other South American types arrived later with sealers and whalers in the early 1800s.
Taewa quickly became a very important food for Māori. They took the place of older crops like sweet potatoes (kūmara) and taro. Taewa could grow well in cooler places. They were also easier to store for a long time than kūmara.
These potatoes were also important for trading with Europeans around the 1800s. Māori grew taewa to sell until the late 1800s. But then, bigger European potato types became more popular because they grew more potatoes per plant. Even so, Māori families have kept growing their traditional taewa varieties. They pass them down through generations. This long history of growing has made them strong and good at resisting diseases.
How Taewa Are Grown
Taewa are usually grown using similar methods to modern potatoes. However, taewa plants tend to produce more potatoes, but each potato is smaller.
Traditionally, taewa are planted in the spring. They are cared for during the summer. The harvest happens in the late autumn. Māori used the `maramataka`, which is the Māori lunar calendar, to decide when to plant. They also used `crop rotation` and wood ash to help the soil. Everyone in the community helped with planting and harvesting.
Names of Taewa Varieties
Some taewa varieties have more than one name. For example, Koanga Institute found that `Huakaroro` and `Peru Ma` are actually the same type of potato.
Different Types of Taewa
- Amuri (also known as Richard Watson)
- Catriona
- Chatham Hollomby
- Chatham Island
- Huakaroro / Karoro / Peru Ma
- Kereopa / Ngateuteu
- Kowiniwini
- Maori Chief
- Maori / Roke Roke / Waikato
- Matariki
- Moemoe
- Paraketia
- Pawhero
- Stewart Island
- Taranaki
- Urenika
- Wai-iti / Whanaako Ngati Porou
- Waitai
- Whataroa
- Whero Whero
Pests and Diseases of Taewa
Before many Europeans settled in New Zealand, taewa didn't have many problems with pests or diseases. The main pests were native caterpillars. Māori controlled them by burning `kauri gum` or dried `kawakawa` leaves to create smoke.
Common Pests Today
Today, some insects can harm taewa. These include the potato tuber moth and wireworm, which eat leaves and stems. They can also damage the potatoes themselves.
Aphids are tiny insects that can spread diseases. Green peach aphids and potato aphids can affect taewa plants.
Other insects like the green looper caterpillar and hadda beetle can also cause damage. They mostly eat the plant's leaves.
The tomato and potato psyllid arrived in New Zealand in 2006. This tiny insect can cause big problems for taewa and other similar plants. Psyllids can reduce the amount of potatoes grown by a lot.
Animals like rats and wild pigs can also attack the potatoes underground. Birds like pukeko, rabbits, and hares might eat the new leaves of the plants.
Common Diseases Today
Taewa can get different plant viruses. These include `potato leafroll virus` and `potato virus Y`. These viruses can spread through aphids or by using infected potatoes for planting.
Fungal diseases can also affect taewa. `Late blight` is a serious fungal disease that can cause a lot of damage to crops. Other fungal diseases like `pink rot` and `Verticillium wilt` can also be a problem.
Some taewa varieties show natural resistance to certain diseases. For example, `Huakaroro` and `Karupārera` have some resistance to `late blight`. However, `Pawhero` is easily affected by `Fusarium dry rot`, which makes it hard to store.
Some diseases, like `common scab`, mostly cause spots on the potatoes. Other diseases, like `bacterial soft rot`, can cause a lot of potatoes to be lost.
Images for kids
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Whataroa potato (taewa), an example of a Māori potato
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Waipororo potato (taewa), an example of a Māori potato
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Urenika taewa (also known as Tūtae-kurī), an example of a Māori potato
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Waiporoporo taewa for sale in New Zealand
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Photographic guide to different potatoes and taewa, including waiporoporo, huakaroro, whataroa and urenika (tūtae kurī).
