Thousands of years ago, ancient sea-going people journeyed across the oceans in great outrigger canoes to settle what is now known as French Polynesia. Space in the canoes was limited; they brought only what they needed to survive. Noni was a prized cargo in these canoes because of its healthful properties and was considered queen of the 'canoe plants' used to establish new villages.
The story of the Morinda citrifolia plant is also told among the people of the tropics worldwide. In Malaysia and Indonesia, it is called MENGKUDU. In Southeast Asia it is known as NHAU. The plant is recognized among all peoples of the South Pacific. It is called NONU in Samoa and Tonga, NONO in Raratonga and Tahiti, and NONI in the Marquesas Islands and Hawaii.
The fruit of the Morinda citrifolia plant was an important source of food for the early Polynesians, who consumed it in times of famine. Australian aborigines were fond of the fruit, and people in Burma cooked unripe fruits in curries and ate the ripened fruit raw with salt. The seeds, leaves, bark, and roots were also eaten by people versed in the healing properties of this odd plant. Amazingly, every part of the Morinda citrifolia plant is used.
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