Taro is a plant that grows across the Pacific and tropical Asia. Its large, heart-shaped leaves are a deep green colour and are strong enough to use as natural wrapping paper. When cooked, the leaves become very soft and silky — you can eat them along with the filling inside. 'Lu' is the Tongan word for these taro leaves, and 'pulu' refers to the corned beef (the word pulu comes from 'bull', as in cattle).
The umu is a traditional underground oven used across Polynesia. To make one, a pit is dug in the ground and filled with rocks. A fire is lit on top of the rocks to heat them until they are extremely hot. The fire is then removed, the food packages (wrapped in leaves) are laid on the hot rocks, more leaves and earth are piled on top to trap the heat, and the food is left to steam-cook for one to two hours. When the covering is lifted, the smell that rises up is one of the best things in Tonga.
Lu pulu is especially popular at feasts — the big communal meals that happen at weddings, church celebrations, and important community events. Tongan feasts can involve enormous quantities of food, all cooked in the umu together and then laid out on long mats for the whole community to share. Children sit with their families and everyone helps to serve and pass food to one another.