Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga

taewa

Potato cultivar. "A pre-European potato" (Tamarau, of Ruatoki, quoted in Best 1903). (For discussion of issue see Best 1902: 83-86). White flesh and skin.

Richards 1993 (27-34) discusses the evidence for the "taewa" potato being named after Stivers, a captain who visited the Bay of Islands, possibly before Cook. (However, Cook never recorded any potato gardens on his first visit).