Summer Food - Kūmara - Taumata 3

Pani Tinaku

A Tūmatauenga rāua ko Rongomaraeroa

What you need

• Copies of A Tūmatauenga rāua ko Rongomaraeroa-raupapatia.pdf, cut into strips (1 set per pair)
• Copy of the story A Tūmatauenga rāua ko Rongomaraeroa.pdf

See the “About this resource” box below to download resources:

• A-Tūmatauenga-rāua-ko-Rongomaraeroa.pdf
• A-Tūmatauenga-rāua-ko-Rongomaraeroa-raupapatia.pdf

Maie te Tupua

Iti noa ana, he pito mata

A small tuber can be used as a seed kūmara, to sprout and produce many more kūmara next planting season. This whakataukī refers to the wisdom in making a small investment now in the hope of plentiful return in the future.

• Ask students to prepare a short speech (no more than 500 words) on the potential of investment with the hope of reaping benefits. This could be:
  • a monetary investment
  • a physical one e.g. training every morning to get into a sports team
  • learning something new
  • a new friendship.
• Remind students to include the whakataukī in the speech. Students present their speeches to the class or in small groups.

Sprouting Kūmara

Sprout some kūmara in the class, and see how far they grow and creep. Create and experiment and see if growth rate differs when growing kūmara in different liquids.

Visit Kaipara Kūmara’s website: https://www.kumara.co.nz/grow-your-own.html

What you do

• Students work in groups of four. Put four toothpicks around each kūmara.
• Place the kūmara into the jars.
• Each group uses each of the four different liquids and fills their jars to about half way (water, carbonated water, salt water, soda). Make sure the bottom of the kūmara are sitting in about 1.5–2 cm of liquid.
• Put it on a windowsill. Keep the liquids topped up – don’t let them dry out.
• Record observations on a chart:
  • measuring growth
  • sketching or photographing plant
  • comment on appearance
  • where the kūmara was situated for the period e.g. windowsill; part shade; all day sun.
• Groups make weekly oral reports to the class based on their observations.
• Students could add another variable – light. Do plants need light to grow? Try putting kūmara in light deprived situations and record results. 

Roroi

What you need

• 3 large kūmara
• ¼ cup sugar (optional)
• butter or oil for greasing the dish
• sharp knife
• grater
• small baking dish 

What you do

• Heat the oven to 180 ˚C.
• Grease the baking dish.
• Wash the kūmara.
• Grate 2 kūmara – this is called roroi. 
• Put the roroi into the baking dish.
• Sprinkle the sugar over the top if you are using it.
• Thinly slice the remaining kūmara and layer them on top of the roroi. This will help keep the roroi moist.
• Bake for 1 hour; checking after 45 minutes.
• Serve with yoghurt, fruit, ice cream or cream. Slice it and eat it cold. 

Note

This book contains a number of recipes for kūmara: Te Kūmara – kātahi nā te kai reka! (item number 11024).