Today, the beverage is most associated with Tongan cuisine, although similar versions of 'otai were made and enjoyed in other archipelagoes, including Uvea, Samoa, Futuna, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Niue.[1] The original Samoan version as recorded by European colonists in the 1890s was made by mixing grated ambarella fruit (called vi in Samoan language and Tongan, wi in Hawaiian language) and young coconut meat with coconut milk and coconut water.[2] The mixture was poured into large, empty coconut shells corked with coconut husk and allowed to chill in cold pools of water (or behind waterfalls) before serving.
The modern Tongan recipe most well-known today is usually a blend of water, shredded coconut meat, and any variety of grated tropical fruits, most commonly watermelon, mango and pineapple, with watermelon being the most used in the Tongan Islands. Sugar is usually added to taste. Tongan historians have noted this version is a very modern take on the traditional Polynesianʻotai, especially since milk, refined sugar, watermelons, mangos, and pineapples are all introduced, foreign ingredients that were not native to Tonga. The original Tongan recipe was said to be identical to the Samoan recipe, except the preferred native fruit was not ambarella (vi), but the Tongan mountain apple, called fekika. In Samoa, this distinction of "native" and "introduced" recipes is differentiated as "ʻotai" only refers to the drink prepared with vi fruit, while the ʻotai made with European-introduced fruits are respectively called vai meleni (watermelon drink), vai mago (mango drink), or vai fala (pineapple drink).
^POLLEX-Online : The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online. Oceanic Linguistics. Entries for QOTAI (PN) Dish of raw fruits: (')o(o)tai - Pollex 2022-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
otai, ʻotai, drink, which, originated, western, polynesia, usually, made, refreshing, accompaniment, large, meals, alternative, namesŌtai, vaitypejuiceplace, originpolynesiaregion, stateniue, samoa, tokelau, tonga, tuvalu, wallis, futunamain, ingredientscoconu. ʻotai is a drink which originated in western Polynesia and is usually made as a refreshing accompaniment to large meals otai otaiAlternative namesŌtai VaiTypeJuicePlace of originPolynesiaRegion or stateNiue Samoa Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Wallis and FutunaMain ingredientsCoconut meat Coconut milk Coconut water Today the beverage is most associated with Tongan cuisine although similar versions of otai were made and enjoyed in other archipelagoes including Uvea Samoa Futuna Tokelau Tuvalu and Niue 1 The original Samoan version as recorded by European colonists in the 1890s was made by mixing grated ambarella fruit called vi in Samoan language and Tongan wi in Hawaiian language and young coconut meat with coconut milk and coconut water 2 The mixture was poured into large empty coconut shells corked with coconut husk and allowed to chill in cold pools of water or behind waterfalls before serving The modern Tongan recipe most well known today is usually a blend of water shredded coconut meat and any variety of grated tropical fruits most commonly watermelon mango and pineapple with watermelon being the most used in the Tongan Islands Sugar is usually added to taste Tongan historians have noted this version is a very modern take on the traditional Polynesian ʻotai especially since milk refined sugar watermelons mangos and pineapples are all introduced foreign ingredients that were not native to Tonga The original Tongan recipe was said to be identical to the Samoan recipe except the preferred native fruit was not ambarella vi but the Tongan mountain apple called fekika In Samoa this distinction of native and introduced recipes is differentiated as ʻotai only refers to the drink prepared with vi fruit while the ʻotai made with European introduced fruits are respectively called vai meleni watermelon drink vai mago mango drink or vai fala pineapple drink See also editList of juicesReferences edit POLLEX Online The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online Oceanic Linguistics Entries for QOTAI PN Dish of raw fruits o o tai Pollex Archived 2022 12 18 at the Wayback Machine The Samoa Islands Volume 1 Kramer Augustin Polynesian Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 27otai amp oldid 1221793917, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
