Food of Matariki Research question In pairs research a customary food preservation method used by Maori leading up to Matariki. In pairs, report back to the class about your food preservation method. What were kumara pits and how were they used? Go to teara.govt.nz and collections.tepapa.govt.nz to help you finsd your answers. You can also use google to search for other websites that might help you. Key words to use in your search: kumara storage kumara pits Next: Compare the customary methods with your own culture's food preservation methods. Are traditional maori ways similar or the same, or completely different? You may present your research anyway you wish to Storage Kūmara tubers were harvested around March. They were stored in underground pits over winter, so some could be eaten and the rest planted out in the next spring. Eating Kūmara were cooked in hāngī (earth ovens), boiled, or steamed. Small tubers were sometimes dried in the sun. FIG. 55. TWO SEMI-SUBTERRANEAN STOREHOUSES FOR KUMARA. WAIAPU DISTRICT. DOMINION MUSEUM COLLECTION