There were two ways the maori stored their food. One of them was Whata where there were elevated platforms to hold or hang food from until it could be stored more permanently in storehouses or  underground storage pits. Whata had thatched tops and protected the crops from pests and the elements. The other way was when they used  rua kumara which were on slopes or other free-draining places so water never stayed inside them. Whole kumaras were carefully placed on shelves cut into fermentation, producing kōtero. Kōtero looks shrivelled but maintains a rich, sweet flavour in which the maori enjoyed for kumara.the inner walls of the pit. The kumara were regularly checked for rot and rotated to ensure they stayed dry. If the kūmara did start to rot, they preserved them by using fermentation, producing kōtero. Kōtero looks shrivelled but maintains a rich, sweet flavour in which the maori enjoyed for kumara.