The Origin of Breadfruit
During a terrible famine in Tahiti, the people prayed to the gods for deliverance. The god Rongo, moved by their suffering, transformed himself into a great breadfruit tree. The tree bore fruit that tasted like fresh bread when roasted, saving the people from starvation. Each part of the tree proved useful—the fruit as food, the sap as glue and medicine, the leaves as plates, and the wood for building canoes. Rongo also taught the people how to cultivate the tree through cuttings rather than seeds, ensuring the breadfruit would follow them wherever they voyaged. The story explains why breadfru