A least once a year I get the pig-roasting question.  

Experienced pig roasters know that if you're going for that traditional tropical feel, bamboo is your plant, and not just because bamboo is strong enough to support the weight of an entire hog.    Bamboo is less flammable than wood, which is why you see wood matchsticks but not bamboo matchsticks.   The low flash-point of bamboo is also why bamboo, not wood,  is used for incense sticks. Bamboo, so reluctant to burst into flames, provides that slow burn necessary for getting the attention of the gods.     You just have to remember to punch out the nodes: otherwise the space between them heats up and pops, splitting the pole (the character for bamboo is included in the Chinese word for fireworks)