Papua New Guinean cuisine

The cuisine of Papua New Guinea are the traditional varied foods found in the eastern part of the New Guinea island. With 82% percent of the population being rural,^[1] and about 85% of the population depending on semi-subsistence agriculture,^[2] the cuisine is heavily based on agricultural crops, including yams, taro, rice and sago. Fruits such as pineapples, pawpaws, mangoes, passionfruit, and more are also abundantly grown in Papua New Guinea and etc.^[3] Though there are little influences from the cuisine of Southeast Asia, a nearby region, Papua New Guinea shares similarities in cuisine with surrounding Oceanian countries, and even the western part of New Guinea.

Meals

Almost every meal consists of rice and another starch,^[4], while meat proteins are only occasional.^[5][6] Mumu, one of the national Papua New Guinean dishes named after an oven in which certain foods are made with by the indigenous peoples, consists of pork, sweet potato, rice, and vegetables. This is an example of a traditional dish composed of the two bases, crops (including starch) and meat.

Snacks

Apart from savory courses, snacks, appetizers, and desserts are also included in a Papua New Guinean's diet. Snacks usually consist of fresh fruit, nuts, and berries,^[8] and appetizers can vary from baked sweet potato to sago grubs. A renowned dessert in the country is saksak, a steamed dumpling made of ground sago, bananas, sugar, and wrapped in a banana leaf.

Beverages

Along with other islands in the western Pacific, kava is usually made into a drink by mixing the root of the crop with water. It is a popular and non-alcoholic beverage. Kulau is a traditional drink in the country, which is the liquid contents of a fresh coconut.^[9] Coffee is Papua New Guinea's second largest agricultural export, and is majorly grown in the Highlands Region, and this organic beverage is commonly consumed. Apart from non-alcoholic drinks, beer is an alcoholic beverage that is favored among many Papua New Guineans.

Staples

A sago pancake

Sago is a common and essential part of Papua New Guinean cuisine,^[10] as the starch ingredient is included in several traditional dishes, such as pancakes and pudding. Sago is in the form of flour usually extracted from the palm tree. Kaukau, the Tok Pisin term for "sweet potato", is also a vital and important crop in the country. Other staples in the Papua New Guinean diet include cassava, breadfruit (ulu), and coconuts. Coconut cream is a delicacy often found in numerous local dishes of Papua New Guinea.^[11]

Though meat proteins are occasionally consumed, fish and other seafood are the main protein in coastal Papua New Guinean villages.^[6] A popular fish dish in Papua New Guinea and etc. is Kokoda Fish, which is raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut cream. It is similar to ceviche.^[12] Other than seafood, pork is said to be valuable meat in Papua New Guinea, and is eaten in Christmas feasts.^[13]

Culinary influences

The cuisine of Papua New Guinea has little to no culinary influences from the neighboring region of Southeast Asia, other than the Indonesian region of Papua and West Papua. Despite noodles being a common staple in Asian continent, noodles are rarely eaten in Papua New Guinea.^[14] The greatest culinary influence was when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, however their diet had an incomplete affect on the Papua New Guineans. Approximately three centuries later, when the German and British arrived, the European diet began playing a true role to the Papua New Guinean's local cuisine.^[15] This is the same case for other nearby Oceanian nations, as cuisines are similar and share identical dishes.

See also

• Oceanic cuisine
• Culture of Papua New Guinea

References