Preparations begin early as cooks dig a large hole in the sand and line the bottom with Kiawe logs and rocks. They then start a fire and allow the coals and rocks to heat over several hours. Once the Imu is ready, the rocks are spread across the bottom of the pit and a bed for the pig is made of moist banana stalks and leaves. The vegetables are then placed beside the pig, and the meal is covered first by a tarp or burlap sack, and then by sand, and left to cook for six to eight hours.