In Hawaiian, lau lau means "leaf leaf," because it is made with layers of ti leaves

and taro leaves wrapped around pig and fish. It's slow-cooked in an underground
rock oven (imu) for many hours until it is soft and smoky. The taro leaves become
very tender and are edible, while the long ti leaves are used to retain the flavor and
are inedible. Ancient Hawaiians used ti leaves to wrap and store or cook many
different types of foods. The ancient Polynesians who came on canoes to Hawaii
brought pigs (puaa) and ti leaves as well as this cooking technique with them.
Western contact has created new versions of this dish with other meats inside, such
as beef, and other cooking techniques.