Not many people appreciate a donut the way my family and I do – especially Cook Island donuts. It’s a simple-looking round thing, but it’s brought my family wealth, happiness and lots of opportunities.
My grandfather, Engu Tavai, was a baker in the Cook Islands where he taught his 16 children the art of making the traditional donuts.
My mother, Teaora, moved to Auckland when she was 18 years old for a better life and greater opportunities.
She found work as a cleaner at Middlemore Hospital while raising her family, which included myself and three brothers.
The donuts are made with skim milk, to make them more healthy.
Times were tough and money was scarce, but my grandfather taught my mother that whenever she was struggling in life, his donut recipe would be the easiest way for her to make money.
So she took her father’s advice and made donuts to help ends meet.
She was one of the first to sell them at the Saturday Otara flea markets in the ‘70s and supplemented her cleaning job with her baking.
As children, we were often called upon to go door-to-door selling Mum’s donuts. The money she raised from selling them was used for the deposit to buy our family home.
It’s basically three simple ingredients, but it has changed our lives forever. I’m so glad that the tradition has been passed on from my grandfather, to my mother and now me, to teach to my own five children.
Michelle (right) is the face of the business, while Mum Teaora works her magic.
From left: Osheyana, Teaora, Analena, Charntae, Michelle and Ta’arua (on lap).
My upbringing and my appreciation of food has led me to run my own catering business, Tiare Catering and Events.
The food I cook focuses on our ‘kai tupuna’ from the Cook Islands, which means food from our ancestors. We cater for weddings and community functions, and I love sharing our cuisine.
I’ve worked hard to try to make our food nutritious and do my best to promote healthy living within our Pacific Island communities.
Lots of our traditional foods are full of carbohydrates, which we try to replace with veges and salad. We even look for ways to make our donuts better, such as using skim milk.
When it comes to our food, hospitality is just as important as ingredients.
I’m the face of the business and my mum and three brothers work in the kitchen. It’s a real family affair and helps us stay connected to our homeland.
Having my own company means that I can volunteer and get involved in helping others. I sit on community boards that deal with various social issues.
In 2013, I organised an awareness event to help prevent suicide in our community. I was shocked to learn about the high suicide rate among Cook Islanders, especially the young. It’s also taboo to speak about.
As a solo mother of five, Analena (22), Ellecana (14), Charntae (7), Osheyana (6) and Ta’arua (3), I wanted to learn so I could identify any risks within them. That’s why I stepped up – I think it’s important for other families to acknowledge this issue.
The event was such a success that many have asked me to do it again which I hope to, later this year.
I don’t have much time to myself, but when I do, I like to stay fit. I’ve always said to my children that I have to look after myself so I can look after my family – exercise is very important to me.
I enjoy my life and appreciate the teachings from my mother – especially the wonders of our Cook Island donuts.
Mum is 65 now and retired, but she is still making her donuts.
After all these years, I’ve come to learn Mum has a passion for donuts because every single one is made with love.
As told to Aroha Awarau
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