Ko ha ʻAʻahi ki ha Ngoueʻanga Siaine

MEI HE TOKOTAHA-TOHI ʻĀ HAKE! ʻI ʻAFILIKA TONGA

KUÓ U manako maʻu pē ʻi he kai siainé. ʻOku ou tui ʻoku pehē pē mo e tokolahi taha ʻo e kakaí. Ko e siainé ʻoku ʻikai ngata pē ʻi heʻene ifó ka ʻoku toe mohu ʻi he ngaahi vaitamini, minulolo mo e faipa. Te ke fie ʻilo lahi ange fekauʻaki mo e fuaʻiʻakau fakatupu moʻui leleí ni? Ki muí ni, naʻe fakahā mai ai kiate au ʻe ha tangata ngoue mo hono uaifí ʻa e founga fakaofo ʻoku huli ai ʻa e siainé.

Ko Tony mo Marie (hā ʻi ʻolungá) ʻokú na ngoue ʻi he Vahefonua Limpopo ʻo ʻAfilika Tongá, ʻi ha feituʻu ʻoku ui ko Levubu. ʻOkú na tō ʻa e ngaahi ngoue kehekehe ʻi heʻena faama ʻeka ʻe 140. Kae kehe, ko ʻena ngoue tefitó ko e siainé. ʻE fai mai ʻe Tony kia kitautolu ha fakamatala lahi ange fekauʻaki mo e fuaʻiʻakau manakoa ko ení.

Tuʻunga ʻo e ʻEá mo ʻEne Tupú

“Ko e faʻahinga kelekele lelei tahá,” ko e fakamatala ia ʻa Tony, “ʻoku lahi feʻunga ai ʻa e ʻumeá pea ʻoku ʻikai ke touʻone pe makamaka. Kuo pau foki ke toe matolu mo ʻikai ke nofoʻanga vai. ʻOku tupu ʻāfaʻafa ʻa e siainé ʻi he ngaahi feituʻu ʻoku ʻikai ʻaisí. Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku nau moʻui ʻi he feituʻu velá. Ko e ʻavalisi ʻo e fua māfana fakataʻu ʻo Levubu ʻoku mei he tikilī Selosiasi ʻe 12 ki he 35.” ʻI heʻeku fehuʻi fekauʻaki mo e ʻuhá, ʻoku pehē ʻe Tony: “ʻOku fiemaʻu ʻe he siainé ha ʻuha tuʻumaʻu pe ke fuʻifuʻi fakauike.”

Ko ha fuʻu siaine ʻe hangē mai nai ʻene ʻasí ha fuʻu ʻakaú, ka ko hono sinó ʻoku faʻuʻaki, ʻo ʻikai ko e ʻakau, ka ko e ʻotu polata māʻopoʻopo. Ko hono moʻoní, ko e siainé ko ha ʻakau fua fakataimi kae ʻikai ko ha fuʻu ʻakau tuʻumaʻu. Ko e sino totonu ʻo e fuʻu siainé ʻoku ʻi he lalo kelekelé pea ʻoku ui ia ko e rhizome. ʻOku haʻu ʻa e aká mei he rhizome, pea tupu hake ai ʻa e laú pea ʻoku faai pē ʻo tupu mei ai ha foʻi matala fōlahi vāleti. ʻOku toe tupu hake foki mo e ngaahi foʻi hulí mei he rhizome ke hoko ko e ngaahi fuʻu fusi foʻou.

ʻOku ʻi ai ʻa e tuʻunga tefito ʻe tolu ʻo e tupu ʻa e fuʻu siainé, ʻa ia ʻoku lave ki ai ʻa e kau ngoue fakalotofonuá “ko e kui-fefine, ʻofefine, mo e mokopuna fefine.” (Sio ki he taá.) ʻE fua ʻa e “kui-fefiné” he taʻú ni, ko e “ʻofefiné” ʻi he taʻu hokó, pea ko e “mokopuna fefiné” leva ʻi he taʻu hono tolú. Ko e “fanga makapuna fefiné” ʻoku nau hā tokotokolahi ʻo hoko atu ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo ʻenau “faʻeé.” ʻI he taimi ʻoku aʻu hake ai ʻa e “fanga kiʻi pēpē” ko ení ki he māʻolunga nai ʻo e tuí, ʻoku tā kotoa ia tuku kehe ʻa e foʻi huli ngali fua lelei tahá.

Ko e fuʻu foʻi matala fōlahi vāleti, ʻa ē ʻoku iku ʻo hoko ko ha kau siainé, ʻoku tupu hake ia mei he rhizome ʻi laló ʻo ʻalu hake ʻi he uho ʻo e fuʻu fusí. ʻOku faai pē ʻo ʻasi hake ia ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e ongo loufusi taupotu ki ʻolungá pea tautau hifo ai. ʻI he ngangana ʻa e ngaahi lauʻi matalá, ʻoku ʻasi mai leva ʻa e louhiʻi nima (taaʻi siaine) kei mata kekē ʻe 10 ki he 15 ʻoku faʻuʻaki ʻa e kau siainé—ʻo tupu ʻo mafuli ki he vakai ʻa e solá! Ko ha taaʻi siaine ʻe lava ke ʻi ai ʻa e foʻi siaine ʻe 20 pe lahi ange, ʻo lave ai ki ai ko e louhiʻi nima.

Taimi Taá

Ko e taimi mei he ʻasi ʻa e foʻi matala vāletí ki hono tā ʻo e siainé ʻoku malava ke tō kehekehe ia, mei he māhina ʻe tolu ki he ono, ʻo fakatuʻunga ʻi he taimi ʻo e taʻú. Ko e fuaʻiʻakaú ni ʻoku tā kei mata, ka ʻi he taimi pē kuo tupu ai ʻa e ngaahi foʻi siainé ʻo aʻu ki ha fōtunga fuopotopotó. Ko e mamafa fakaʻavalisi ʻo ha kau siaine ʻoku ala fakatau, ʻoku kilokalami nai ʻe 35. ʻI hono taá ʻoku kofu milemila ʻa e kau siainé ke hao mei haʻane mamulu lolotonga hono fetuku ʻi ha saliote ki he fale faʻoʻangá. ʻI he falé ni, ʻoku tuʻutuʻu ai ʻa e taaʻi siainé ki he fanga kiʻi tā iiki ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e foʻi siaine ʻe tolu ki he ono pea hili iá ʻoku faitoʻo ʻaki ʻa e faitoʻo tāmate mahaki ke taʻofi ʻene palapalangiá.

ʻI ʻAfilika Tonga, ʻoku faʻo leva ʻa e fuaʻiʻakaú ni ʻi ha puha pepa fakaavaava kuo silaʻi, pea ʻave ki ha loki fakamomoho. ʻI hení ʻoku fakahoko ai ʻe ha kasa, ko e ʻefilini, ʻa hono fakamomohó.a ʻOku tauhi heni ʻa e ʻū puhá ʻi ha fua māfana pau ʻi he ʻaho ʻe taha pe ua pea ʻi he hili iá ʻoku uta leva ia ki he tokotaha fakataú.

“Mahalo ʻoku ou filifilimānako,” ko e lau ia ʻa Tony, mo ha kamokamo fiefia, “ka ʻoku ou pehē ko e siaine Levubu ʻoku ʻi ai hono ifo makehe, mahalo pē koeʻuhí ko homau kelekelé. Ko e meʻa pangó, koeʻuhi ko ʻemau fuʻu mamaʻo mei ha kolo uta koloa ki tuʻá, ʻoku maʻu ia ʻi he fonua pē ko ení.”

Lelei ki Hoʻo Moʻuí

Ko e siainé ʻoku mohu ia ʻi he potasiumé. “ʻOku fakahaaʻi ʻe he ngaahi ako lahi ko e meʻakai fakatupu ivi ko ení ʻe lava ke tokoni ki hono ʻai ke mālohi ho huí pea fakasiʻisiʻi ʻa hoʻo malava ke maʻu ʻa e toto māʻolungá mo e pā kālavá,” ko e lau ia ʻa e makasini Health ʻi ha kupu fekauʻaki mo e siainé. Ko e “siainé,” ko e tānaki mai ia ʻa e makasiní, “ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e foleiti ʻokú ne taʻotaʻofi ʻa e ngaahi mele ʻo e fāʻelé, ko ha vaitamini B ʻoku mahuʻinga ki ha taha pē ʻoku feitama pe ʻi he taʻu fanaú.” ʻOku ʻi he siainé ʻa e ngaahi minulolo mātuʻaki mahuʻinga kehe, hangē ko e makanesiumé, ʻa ia ʻoku tokoni ki he huí ke ne mimisi ʻa e kalasiumé pea kei hoko ai pē ʻo mālohi.

Ko e polotini ʻi ha foʻi siaine ʻoku faʻuʻaki ia ʻa e ʻēsiti ʻāmino ʻe 18, kau ai ʻa e kotoa ʻo e ngaahi ʻēsiti ʻāmino mahuʻinga ʻoku ʻikai lava ʻe ho sinó ke ngaohi ʻi ha tuʻunga lahi feʻunga pe ʻikai ʻaupito lava ke ne ngaohí. Ko e fuaʻiʻakaú ni ʻoku peseti ʻe 22 hono kapohaituletí, ʻa ia ʻokú ne ʻomi vave ai ʻa e iví koeʻuhi ʻoku faingofua ʻaupito ke fakamolū ʻa e siainé. ʻOku fiefia ʻa Marie ke ne tānaki mai: “Ko e siainé ko ha matavai lelei ia ʻo e vaitamini A, B mo e C. Pehē foki, ʻoku ngali fakafiu vave ia, he ʻoku ʻikai ʻaupito ha taha ʻe ngali hehema ke ne kai lahiʻi ia ʻi he taimi pē taha.” Ko ia fēfē ke ke ʻahiʻahiʻi ha foʻi siaine—ʻe sai ia kia koe pea ifo ʻaupito!

[Fakamatala ʻi lalo]

[Taiakalami/Fakatātā ʻi he peesi 22]

(Ki he konga tohi kuo fokotuʻú, sio ki he tohi)

Lau

Matala/siaine

Kofu ʻo e fuʻu fusí

Lēvolo ʻo e kelekelé

Rhizome

Aka

[Maʻuʻanga]

Fakatātaá: Based on the drawing from The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck

[Taiakalami/Fakatātā ʻi he peesi 23]

Kui-fefine

ʻOfefine

Mokopuna Fefine

[Fakatātā ʻi he peesi 23]

ʻOku iku pē ʻo hoko ʻa e fuʻu foʻi matala vāletí ko ha kau siaine

[Maʻuʻanga]

Photo by Kazuo Yamasaki

[Fakatātā ʻi he peesi 24]

Taimi hono taá (ʻi he toʻohemá); ko ha ngoue foʻou ʻoku hanga mai (ʻolunga)