Ahh...there I am...finally I am sitting in our camp's kitchen with the rest of the women enjoying our chats and stories while the men do all the work, my Dad included! Aunties Matilda and Maxine, cousins Nicole, Velisha, Marie, my sister Helena and of course, yours truly.

A shallow firepit is built and lined with wood chips and the dried coconut husks to start a fire. The ulu is placed in it for cooking. As you can see it is not too far from our camp site. The fire is fairly controlled and someone is always close at hand to watch for any danger. My Dad, Henry, is helping to prepare the shallow firepit; in Rotuman it is called a koua.

My Dad, Henry, and Uncle Akerio are fanning the fire and placing the ulu into the firepit to cook the ulu thoroughly in order to prepare the ulu for the dessert.

My Dad, Henry, tending to the cooking of the ulu in the koua (firepit).

The ulu (breadfruit) is cooking. It looks like it's toally burnt! It's not, but it is charred to a blackened color and then they know that it is done. It is removed from the firepit and then the charred skin of the ulu is removed and placed into a large palm leaf to be beaten.

Here is my Dad, Henry, removing the charred skin of the ulu and placing it in the large palm leaf for Auntie Luisa and Uncle Aisea to beat to a softened texture, removing the hairy pit and seeds away from the cooked ulu flesh.

Once the hairy pit and seeds are removed, the ulu is beaten to a soft texture, then it is rolled into balls the size of a golf ball. It is placed into a container for people to serve themselves.

The fekei ulu is completed. The sauce was completed earlier and had a chance to cool before serving.

Here's my Dad....Henry....after all that hard work, taking time to enjoy a bowlful of the fekei ulu everyone enjoyed.

If you've never tried this epicurean delight, you'll have to try it when the Rotumans make it again!