Description
The expanded facility includes a permanent cooking pavilion, a sturdy structure with a high peaked roof supported by carved posts. The roof is constructed from multiple layers of palm thatch treated with coconut oil for water resistance, providing shelter from sun and rain while allowing smoke to escape through carefully designed ventilation gaps near the peak. Under this pavilion, the preparation area has been transformed into a proper workspace with raised wooden platforms for cutting and wrapping, built-in storage compartments, and designated stations for different food types to prevent flavor contamination.
A substantial improvement to the expanded complex is the addition of a specialized curing and pre-treatment area. Here, certain foods are prepared with traditional Vaitafe techniques before entering the hangi pits. Fish might be briefly salted or treated with citrus, root vegetables scrubbed and pre-scored, and meats marinated in coconut cream infused with native herbs. This pre-treatment not only enhances flavors but also reduces actual cooking time in the pits, allowing for greater throughput. The area features dedicated stone vessels for marinades and a fresh-water channel fed by the settlement's cistern system.
The firewood storage has been expanded into a proper wood house with separate compartments for different wood types, each labeled with carved markers indicating ideal uses. The structure includes a raised floor to prevent moisture absorption and slatted walls that allow air circulation for continued seasoning. Adjacent to the wood house, a coal storage pit holds specially prepared coconut shell charcoal, which burns hotter and cleaner than wood and is used for foods requiring higher temperatures.
At this scale, the complex operates from dawn until evening, with different pits at various stages of the cooking cycle. The expanded capacity allows the settlement to feed 100 to 120 people daily while still producing significant surplus. The pit tenders have developed specialized roles, with some focusing on fire management, others on food preparation, and senior tenders overseeing timing and quality control. The complex has become a social center as well, with people gathering nearby during cooking sessions, drawn by the enticing aromas and the opportunity to share news and stories.
Benefits
The Expanded Hangi Pit Complex generates an additional 3 Prestige. The Complex produces slight better quality product and at slightly higher volumes. This brings the settelment an additional 200 gold every month.