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poi

/pɔɪ/
IPA guide

Other forms: pois

Poi is a traditional Hawaiian food made from taro root. If you’re having a Hawaiian luau, get some flower leis, a ukulele player, and a big bowl of poi. Not sure about the poi? Don’t worry, it’s gluten free!

Some poi is thick and dough-like, while other servings of this staple food are almost a liquid. Native Hawaiians describe poi in terms of fingers, calling it "one-finger," "two-finger," and so on, depending on how many fingers you need to scoop it up. Poi was once the name of a now-extinct Hawaiian dog breed that was fed poi and fattened to be eaten. Today, many Hawaiians use "poi dog" to mean a mixed-breed dog.

Definitions of poi
  1. noun
    Hawaiian dish of taro root pounded to a paste and often allowed to ferment
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    type of:
    dish
    a particular item of prepared food
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