The preparation of foods are done in various ways. Almost ALL the foods are cooked by-way of boiling, baking, frying or streaming before eating them. Some foods can be eaten raw as well as cooking them.
The Papua New Guineans cooking style has evolved from primitive technique to the use of high-tech electronic appliances. Although, the modern way of preparing foods is taking significant shape yet in some pockets of the societies, traditional way of cooking foods is still practice. We will look at how the society have evolved from primitive age to modern style cooking.
Primitive Age -Cooking food on Sun
Many, many years ago, before “bush fire making technique” was invented (search in this blog- “traditional way of making fire in Pangia-PNG”), the foods were cooked on the sun - merely drying the foods on sun before eating.
Our parents, their parents (grandparents) did not practice cooking food on sun as fire technique is already developed. To support this argument, our grandparents prior to cooking the foods, some foods were dried in the sun. Even today some foods get sun’s exposure which provides every reasons to believe that during the Dark Age, sun was a sources of energy for cooking foods.
Cooking Food on Open Fire Pit
The dry woods are split into pieces – reasonable sizes of 5cm-60cm. The firewood is gather at the fireplace where fire is ignite.
All the foods are place on the open fireplace so that the cooking is done in an anticipated way – like the outer skins of the foods are burn. One classic example of cooking food on open fireplace is cooking corn with its covering on the open fire. Once the corn covering is burn, the inside of the corn is done. A similar recipe is applied to sweet potatoes, banana, and taro (etc.).
After the fire had done the food, its remove and the outer fired black tart is peel off, it’s now ready for family dinner. This is ideal notion for those people make a temporary home in the jungle.
Cooking on Residue Ashes
The burnt fire woods produce residue ashes is remain at the fireplace. After the fire woods are burnt, leftover pieces are buried in the fire ashes so that the fire do not die out. Using this technique, the fire never die out and stays for weeks or even months. The residue ashes protects the fire from dying out while the fire releases energy to the ashes – ready for cooking the foods.
The outer elements of the foods is peel off especially those foods with hard cover/skin like sweet potatoes, taro and yam (etc.) before drying their juice next to the fireplace, then its ready for cooking.
The residue ashes is like a pot where all the foods are boiled. Jus recall going to the seaside during the childhood days playing with sands under the company of your parents. The sands are form into small mountains where kids hide their toys, hands or legs. In similar fashion, the food is cook in the residue ashes.
The leftover fire woods is gather next to the fireplace. Now the fireside is empty, only the residue ashes sitting there. A forceps made from the small trees about 30cm divide the residue ashes giving way to form the fireside like a sitting pot ready to accept the foods.
Once it’s ready, the foods are dump into the sitting ashes pot. The residue ashes is move back to its original place hiding the foods in the ashes, which in-fact blankets the food stuff. The forceps gives a soft effect on the surface and the remaining fire woods are move back over the food pot. As the fire burns, it releases significant energy into the ashes so that the food inside is done. It takes at least 20-60 minutes for the foods to be done.
Cooking in Bamboo Tube
The bamboo tube food cooking method is clean method and the taste of the food is different from the pot or other traditional cooking. The one end of the bamboo tube is chopped off leaving the other end with its knot intact.
The foods are cut into eatable sizes and pack them into the bamboo tube. The bamboo tube can hold any food includes proteins and greens. You can have many as you wish. Once the bamboo tube is full close the opening with leafs to prevent streams escaping. No water is require, however, they can add a little bit, if needed.
After the bamboo tube is fill with the foods, the stream produce inside the bamboo tube cooks the foods. The duration of the cooking can take approximately 10-20 minutes.
For those who want to travel long distance, especially in the wild bush, this idea is best. The cook food stays in the tube - can travel long distances until in the afternoon, dinner is ready. This is ideal notion for those people who want to take a long wild bush journey.
Boiling/Cooking Food on the Stone
Collect 100+ stones (depends on the sign of cooking hold) size of the both fists of your hands. The hold is dug from the ground - 20cm – 40cm deep while width is depends on the size of the cooking. This type of cooking method in Papua New Guinea is call mumu, commonly practice in thw highlands region of Papua New Guinea.
This is how it’s done: Some stones creates foundation, small fire woods are place on the stones to ignite fire. The firewood is constructed in order of hierarchy - smaller ones to big ones. On the top, all the stones are placed. When the firewood is burns slowly, it boils the stones as a result the stones gain significant amount of energy adequate to cook the foods.
After the stones are done, the half leftover firewood is remove from the pit hold and gather next to the mumu pit/cooking pot hold. All the stones are move there so that it continue gaining the heat. Once the hold is empty with some hot stones becomes a base, the hard banana leafs goes first to endure the high heat before the soft ones.
The hard foods like sweet potatoes, taro, and yam goes first, then veggies/greens and proteins. The stones are position strategically between the foods. After that any food goes into the entire mumu pit, then the banana leafs blankets the mumu food, then hard leafs and finally it's dress up with death materials to prevent the stream escaping. The end results is mumu hold swells like truck load of sands on surface of the ground.
How do they know that the foods are done? The swollen mumu mountain slightly descend down and stream starts to escape from the mumu put which gives a signal that the food is cooked.
How the food stuffs are remove from the mumu pit? The same way the food was built in the pit. The top layer –the death material is remove, then the stones, dust dirties with leafs results clean mumu surface, slowly remove the banana leafs and the aroma of the food perfumes the mumu area. The stones are separated from food and store away for next use. The family gathers at the mumu pit and enjoy the hard work. This cooking is ideal for family party at home.
Cooking in the Walking Stone
cooking in the walking stones may sounds funny as how can the stone cook the food while walking.
This cooking is ideally for people who want to travel for a long distance especially in the bush. At least 2-10 stones depends on the size of the food, a common sense is require here for the number of stones.
Ensure you have cleans stones, a firewood to boiled the stones. While the stones are boiling on the fire, prepare the foods and leafs for wrapping the foods.
After the stones become very red hot, get at least 10 or so banana leafs or any bush leafs that can wrap the foods. The first leaf is place on the ground. The 2nd leafs should be placed in a crossing position, then place the next one in-order to fill the missing gaps until you have enough leafs, thick enough to wrap up the food and the hot stones.
Leafs are place nicely covering all the space. Ensure there no is gap left. On the base, lay few stones, ensure the stones are cleans, then place the foods on the stones, and remaining foods goes in. Ensure that the stones are sufficiently positioned between the foods,then cover with leafts. Once done perfectly fold the leafs in an standing position towards the each other bringing each end fasten together, then tie up with the bush ropes and you’re done. Carry the travel boiling pot with you. The aroma of the cook food will escape through the wrapped pot leafts is an indication that the food is done.
Modern cooking
In many parts of Papua New Guinea, many people are now using pots or electronical appliance to cook their food.
1st method: The foods are cook on pure cool water, fry in oil, or boil in coconut cream.
2nd method: 10-20 stones (number of stone can be depends of the size of pot) are boiled on the fire. After the stones become very red hot, it's remove from the fireplace and dip them in the clean pot of water, a procedure apply to remove the dirties, few stones becomes the foundation at the base of the pot, then add mixture of the foods and more stones is position between the foods. Once the food and stones fills up the pot, the mouth of the pot is cover with banana leafs and finally seal it off with pot lid. The stream cooks the foods inside the pot.
3rd method: cooking food with non-boiled stones. Get some stones and position at the base of the pot.
Ensure, the base is fill with no space. Bring the water to stone level. Few soft banana leafs covers the stone where its fill up with foods of one’s choice, then close the lid with any leafs and finally seal if off pot lid. Take the pot on to the fire to allow the stream produce from water and stones to cooks the foods.
Conclusion
There are many ways people cook their foods in Papua New Guinea but what we have discussed so far are cooking methods employ to apply different food recipes.
The Papua New Guineans cooking style has evolved from primitive technique to the use of high-tech electronic appliances. Although, the modern way of preparing foods is taking significant shape yet in some pockets of the societies, traditional way of cooking foods is still practice. We will look at how the society have evolved from primitive age to modern style cooking.
Primitive Age -Cooking food on Sun
Many, many years ago, before “bush fire making technique” was invented (search in this blog- “traditional way of making fire in Pangia-PNG”), the foods were cooked on the sun - merely drying the foods on sun before eating.
Our parents, their parents (grandparents) did not practice cooking food on sun as fire technique is already developed. To support this argument, our grandparents prior to cooking the foods, some foods were dried in the sun. Even today some foods get sun’s exposure which provides every reasons to believe that during the Dark Age, sun was a sources of energy for cooking foods.
Cooking Food on Open Fire Pit
The dry woods are split into pieces – reasonable sizes of 5cm-60cm. The firewood is gather at the fireplace where fire is ignite.
All the foods are place on the open fireplace so that the cooking is done in an anticipated way – like the outer skins of the foods are burn. One classic example of cooking food on open fireplace is cooking corn with its covering on the open fire. Once the corn covering is burn, the inside of the corn is done. A similar recipe is applied to sweet potatoes, banana, and taro (etc.).
After the fire had done the food, its remove and the outer fired black tart is peel off, it’s now ready for family dinner. This is ideal notion for those people make a temporary home in the jungle.
Cooking on Residue Ashes
The burnt fire woods produce residue ashes is remain at the fireplace. After the fire woods are burnt, leftover pieces are buried in the fire ashes so that the fire do not die out. Using this technique, the fire never die out and stays for weeks or even months. The residue ashes protects the fire from dying out while the fire releases energy to the ashes – ready for cooking the foods.
The outer elements of the foods is peel off especially those foods with hard cover/skin like sweet potatoes, taro and yam (etc.) before drying their juice next to the fireplace, then its ready for cooking.
The residue ashes is like a pot where all the foods are boiled. Jus recall going to the seaside during the childhood days playing with sands under the company of your parents. The sands are form into small mountains where kids hide their toys, hands or legs. In similar fashion, the food is cook in the residue ashes.
The leftover fire woods is gather next to the fireplace. Now the fireside is empty, only the residue ashes sitting there. A forceps made from the small trees about 30cm divide the residue ashes giving way to form the fireside like a sitting pot ready to accept the foods.
Once it’s ready, the foods are dump into the sitting ashes pot. The residue ashes is move back to its original place hiding the foods in the ashes, which in-fact blankets the food stuff. The forceps gives a soft effect on the surface and the remaining fire woods are move back over the food pot. As the fire burns, it releases significant energy into the ashes so that the food inside is done. It takes at least 20-60 minutes for the foods to be done.
Cooking in Bamboo Tube
The bamboo tube food cooking method is clean method and the taste of the food is different from the pot or other traditional cooking. The one end of the bamboo tube is chopped off leaving the other end with its knot intact.
The foods are cut into eatable sizes and pack them into the bamboo tube. The bamboo tube can hold any food includes proteins and greens. You can have many as you wish. Once the bamboo tube is full close the opening with leafs to prevent streams escaping. No water is require, however, they can add a little bit, if needed.
After the bamboo tube is fill with the foods, the stream produce inside the bamboo tube cooks the foods. The duration of the cooking can take approximately 10-20 minutes.
For those who want to travel long distance, especially in the wild bush, this idea is best. The cook food stays in the tube - can travel long distances until in the afternoon, dinner is ready. This is ideal notion for those people who want to take a long wild bush journey.
Boiling/Cooking Food on the Stone
Collect 100+ stones (depends on the sign of cooking hold) size of the both fists of your hands. The hold is dug from the ground - 20cm – 40cm deep while width is depends on the size of the cooking. This type of cooking method in Papua New Guinea is call mumu, commonly practice in thw highlands region of Papua New Guinea.
This is how it’s done: Some stones creates foundation, small fire woods are place on the stones to ignite fire. The firewood is constructed in order of hierarchy - smaller ones to big ones. On the top, all the stones are placed. When the firewood is burns slowly, it boils the stones as a result the stones gain significant amount of energy adequate to cook the foods.
After the stones are done, the half leftover firewood is remove from the pit hold and gather next to the mumu pit/cooking pot hold. All the stones are move there so that it continue gaining the heat. Once the hold is empty with some hot stones becomes a base, the hard banana leafs goes first to endure the high heat before the soft ones.
The hard foods like sweet potatoes, taro, and yam goes first, then veggies/greens and proteins. The stones are position strategically between the foods. After that any food goes into the entire mumu pit, then the banana leafs blankets the mumu food, then hard leafs and finally it's dress up with death materials to prevent the stream escaping. The end results is mumu hold swells like truck load of sands on surface of the ground.
How do they know that the foods are done? The swollen mumu mountain slightly descend down and stream starts to escape from the mumu put which gives a signal that the food is cooked.
How the food stuffs are remove from the mumu pit? The same way the food was built in the pit. The top layer –the death material is remove, then the stones, dust dirties with leafs results clean mumu surface, slowly remove the banana leafs and the aroma of the food perfumes the mumu area. The stones are separated from food and store away for next use. The family gathers at the mumu pit and enjoy the hard work. This cooking is ideal for family party at home.
Cooking in the Walking Stone
cooking in the walking stones may sounds funny as how can the stone cook the food while walking.
This cooking is ideally for people who want to travel for a long distance especially in the bush. At least 2-10 stones depends on the size of the food, a common sense is require here for the number of stones.
Ensure you have cleans stones, a firewood to boiled the stones. While the stones are boiling on the fire, prepare the foods and leafs for wrapping the foods.
After the stones become very red hot, get at least 10 or so banana leafs or any bush leafs that can wrap the foods. The first leaf is place on the ground. The 2nd leafs should be placed in a crossing position, then place the next one in-order to fill the missing gaps until you have enough leafs, thick enough to wrap up the food and the hot stones.
Leafs are place nicely covering all the space. Ensure there no is gap left. On the base, lay few stones, ensure the stones are cleans, then place the foods on the stones, and remaining foods goes in. Ensure that the stones are sufficiently positioned between the foods,then cover with leafts. Once done perfectly fold the leafs in an standing position towards the each other bringing each end fasten together, then tie up with the bush ropes and you’re done. Carry the travel boiling pot with you. The aroma of the cook food will escape through the wrapped pot leafts is an indication that the food is done.
Modern cooking
In many parts of Papua New Guinea, many people are now using pots or electronical appliance to cook their food.
1st method: The foods are cook on pure cool water, fry in oil, or boil in coconut cream.
2nd method: 10-20 stones (number of stone can be depends of the size of pot) are boiled on the fire. After the stones become very red hot, it's remove from the fireplace and dip them in the clean pot of water, a procedure apply to remove the dirties, few stones becomes the foundation at the base of the pot, then add mixture of the foods and more stones is position between the foods. Once the food and stones fills up the pot, the mouth of the pot is cover with banana leafs and finally seal it off with pot lid. The stream cooks the foods inside the pot.
3rd method: cooking food with non-boiled stones. Get some stones and position at the base of the pot.
Ensure, the base is fill with no space. Bring the water to stone level. Few soft banana leafs covers the stone where its fill up with foods of one’s choice, then close the lid with any leafs and finally seal if off pot lid. Take the pot on to the fire to allow the stream produce from water and stones to cooks the foods.
Conclusion
There are many ways people cook their foods in Papua New Guinea but what we have discussed so far are cooking methods employ to apply different food recipes.
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