is a Hawaiian dish made with taro and coconut. Considered a pudding, has a chewy and solid consistency like fudge or Southeast Asian dodol, with a flavor similar to caramel or Chinese . Because taro is widely cultivated on the island of Kauai, taro products such as are often associated with the island. It is a well-beloved dish well documented by many non-Hawaiians since the late 1800s, sometimes found during festive occasions like .
The Hawaiian word is a cognate of the Eastern Polynesian term "roro" which describes "brains matter, bone marrow; spongy matter," which itself is derived from Nuclear Polynesian "lolo" which describes "coconut cream or oil", while "kà «" is a qualitative and stative prefix.
Traditional recipes call for wrapping a mixture of grated taro and coconut cream in ti leaves and baking it in an imu (underground oven) for 6 to 8 hours. Modern recipes call for baking the mixture in a baking pan in an oven, or steaming in a pressure cooker.
(<small>antiquated</small> ) is another name associated with puddings made in a similar manner to . It also refers to the grated or pulverized raw ingredientsâÂÂincluding taro, sweet potato, breadfruit, yam, or bananaâÂÂthat are mixed with coconut milk to make this dish. (or ) is a baked pudding made from the overripe fruits of banana or breadfruit mixed with coconut milk. is a similar pudding made with sweet potato and coconut milk. However, the coconut milk is added after the sweet potatoes are cooked separately.
While remains fairly popular, it is unclear why and fell out of favor in modern times. All these puddings, including and , were well-documented throughout the late 1800s to early 1900s, including by the famed author Robert Louis Stevenson during his visits.
A powdered mix using dehydrated taro powder is available for those who do not have access to fresh taro. is also found as a filling in , as an accompaniment to, and as a flavor for, ice cream.