Traditional Marquesan Agriculture and Subsistance: Cultivation and Processing of Specific Agricultural Products Part II of IV

Food preparation and consumption was an important aspect of ancient Marquesan life. In the word of Robarts (1974:252) who lived in the Marquesas in the first decade of the 19th century, "In times of plenty they eat a deal and often." The institution of feasting associations and the centrality of ko'ika l in Marquesan society are expressions of the importance of food on a scale beyond the daily needs of a family: This section treats cooking and eating generally.