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Story: Te ngahere – forest lore

Kopa

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Kopa

A flax bag called a kopa or tāwiri was used to squeeze tītoki berries. The berries were placed inside the bag and pounded, then the bag was squeezed. The oil dripped into a receptacle underneath.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Reference: Elsdon Best, Forest Lore of the Maori. Wellington: Dominion Museum, 1942

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How to cite this page

Rāwiri Taonui, Te ngahere – forest lore – Fruiting trees, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/14119/kopa (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 2 March 2009.