In Hawaiian imu means oven. Throughout the Hawaiian islands this evening there are hundreds of imus being prepared and stoked for the grand Thanksgiving feast. The Hawaiian people tend to go over the top with a warm, welcoming, friendly attitude and today was no exception. Our Boy Scout troop was invited to help build and use this imu by some new friends in Waimanalo. By the time we had arrived, the 8-foot diameter pit had been dug, fire was burning and lava rocks were heating up. The boys got to prepare the banana tree stumps, banana tree leaves and ti leaves that would be used later on in the process. Here is the final shot of the 70+ pans of beef, turkey, ham or anything that fits in a pan before we covered it up with many layers of the prepared leaves, then water soaked cloth, a layer of heavy plastic sheeting and finally a layer of dirt to seal in the steam. It will cook through the night until we return tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see how it all turns out!
Waimanalo, Hawaii
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