Ma waena o nā ʻano mea kanu a me nā mea ola ma ko mākou honua, ua noho ʻia kahi wahi koʻikoʻi hauha, aia ma kahi o hoʻokahi haneli tausani mau ʻano, a ulu maoli lākou ma nā wahi āpau. Malia paha, ʻaʻohe wahi like ma ka Honua kahi e ʻike ʻole ai nā halo i nā kūlana no ko lākou ulu ʻana. E ulu ana nā haloha ma nā ululāʻau a me nā kula, ma nā kīhāpai a me nā kula, ma nā mauna a me nā wao nahele, ma ka lepo a me ka wai.
Hoʻomaka ke kanaka e hōʻike i ka hoihoi i nā halo mai ka wā kahiko loa. Ua māhele ʻia nā halo i ka ʻai, conditionally edible a me inedible (toadstools), poisonous. Aia kekahi ʻepekema o nā halo - mycology - akā ʻaʻole hiki iā ia ke pane i ka nīnau no ka manawa lōʻihi: he aha kahi e noho ai nā halo i ka ʻōnaehana o ka honua? A i ka hopena o ke kenekulia 18 wale nō i hoʻopaʻa ʻia kā lākou mea kanu spore. Akā, he mea kanu maoli nā halo? ʻOiaʻiʻo, ʻaʻole like me nā mea kanu, nele lākou i ka chlorophyll, ʻaʻole hiki iā lākou ke komo i ka carbon dioxide mai ka lewa ma o lākou iho, a no laila e hānai i nā mea kūlohelohe i mākaukau. Eia kekahi, ʻo ka hui ʻana o ka ʻiʻo cell o nā fungi he nui ka chitin, kahi e hoʻokokoke ai iā lākou i nā holoholona.
Hoʻokaʻawale ka hapa nui o nā mea olaola hou i nā halo ma ke ʻano he ʻano ʻokoʻa me nā mea kanu a me nā holoholona. He mea koʻikoʻi ka halo ma ke ʻano a no ka ʻoihana waiwai kanaka.
Nui nā halo pāpale (he 200 paha mau ʻano) hiki ke ʻai a he meaʻai kanaka. Ua ʻai ʻia nā halo no ka mea kokoke i ka mōʻaukala holoʻokoʻa o ke kanaka. Ma ke ʻano o kā lākou ʻano kemika a me ka ʻike protein, ʻoi aku ka pili o nā halo i ka ʻiʻo ma mua o nā mea kanu. A ma ke ʻano o ka nui a me ka hoʻohui ʻana o nā carbohydrates a me nā minela, ua kokoke lākou i nā mea kanu a me nā huaʻai.
Hoʻoholo ʻia ka waiwai o ka meaʻai o nā halo e ka loaʻa ʻana o nā pūhui organik like ʻole a me nā paʻakai mineral i loko o lākou. Nui nā ʻano ʻano enzyme e hoʻoikaika i ka haki ʻana o nā momona a me ka fiber. Hōʻike kēia hiʻohiʻona i nā halo i mea pono a pono hoʻi i nā huahana hou i ka meaʻai i kēlā me kēia lā. Hoʻonui nui ka ʻike o nā kō i loko o nā halo i ko lākou waiwai waiwai a hāʻawi i kahi ʻono ʻono maikaʻi. Loaʻa i nā ʻōpala nā momona waiwai, ʻaneʻane like ko lākou digestibility me nā momona holoholona. Hāʻawi nā aila pono i nā halo i kahi ʻala, a hāʻawi ka resins iā lākou i kahi ductility (waiu, kekahi russula). Nui nō hoʻi nā haloo i nā mea waiwai.
Hiki ke mālama ʻia nā halo hou no nā hola wale nō, no ka ʻohi ʻana no ka wā e hiki mai ana ua maloʻo lākou, paʻakai, pickled, canned.