E kī ana, i mua i pai te kai a te Māori, he kūmera, he aruhe, he pōhue, he manu, he kaingārā, he tuna, he mātaitai; e mea ana anō i kaha rawa te tangata i tērā wā. Ināianei, kua mahue te aruhe, me te pōhue kua kore te kaingārā, kua iti haere te manu, kua iti haere hoki te ngaki o te kūmera—, kua tahuri te tangata ki te kānga piro (TH 1/7/1859:2). / It is said that in former times the diet of the Māori consisted of kūmara, fern root, New Zealand passionfruit, birds, yellow moray eels, eels and seafood; and it was also said that people were stronger at that time. Now, the fern root has been abandoned along with the New Zealand passionfruit and the yellow moray eels is gone, birds have decreased and the cultivation of kūmara has also dwindled and people have turned to fermented corn.

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