Story: Māori foods – kai Māori

This superbly carved pātaka, or food storehouse, was painted at Ōtumatua, Taranaki, in 1842. It is reached by climbing the notched wooden pole, which has steps too far apart for rats to climb. Flax bags of provisions are stacked at the base of the pātaka, possibly ready for storage there. In the background a man and a woman sit at their cooking fire.