Papua New Guinean Cuisine

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Overview of Papua New Guinean Cuisine History
Papua New Guinea is located on the island of New Guinea in the eastern half. The country borders to the west with Irian Jaya, a province of Indonesia and to the north it is 160 kilometers away from Australia. Due to the location just in the south of the equator and its moderate tropical climate, Papua New Guinea is heavy on exotic fruits like avocado, papaya, mango, bananas and Papua New Guinea’s cuisine is also heavy on salads and light meals. The staple foods in Papua New Guinea are rice, sago, and kau kau (sweet potato) which represent the basis of most local dishes. People from Papua New Guinea mostly cook their dishes in a under covered oven called mumu. Local cuisine from Papua New Guinea is rich in fish, vegetables and fruit such as passion fruits, pawpaw, pineapples etc. Papua New Guinea’s cuisine is very influenced by European, Chinese and Indonesian cuisine.

Cuisines of Papua New Guinea


The staple foods in Papua New Guinea are rice, sago and kau kau (sweet potato) which are generally prepared with seafood, chicken, game, pork and a large variety of greens. Papua New Guinea’s cuisine is very varied. People from Papua New Guinea prefer abundant dishes and food which is very well cooked. Papuans have three main meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner yet desserts, snacks, traditional beverages are consumed daily. A traditional dish is mumu named after the oven where they cook their dishes; mumu is made with Pork meat, sweet potatoes, rice and greens. Traditional dishes like mumu which include Pork meat are generally served on traditional feasts. In Papua New Guinea, braising is one way of cooking meat, vegetables or seafood which is usually served with delicious sauces. Papua New Guinea offers a variety of exotic meals such as fresh Barramundi cod cooked in the wrapping of banana leaves, roasted chestnuts and incredibly delicious fruits.

Papua New Guinean Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an Papua New Guinean Recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the name they may be found under at the Local Markets.


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Preparation Methods for Papua New Guinean Cooking
Papua New Guinea’s cuisine uses elements from very various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Papua New Guinea’s cooking, we should point out that attention to details is important in the Papua New Guinean cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential- either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of the vegetables and cereals found in Papua New Guinea is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportions differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Papua New Guinea’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Papua New Guinea’s dishes and cure and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Special Equipment for Papua New Guinean Cooking
Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers and portioners, food pans and food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets and accessories, the Papuan cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Papuan dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Papuan food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, and kitchen thermometers, measuring cups and measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers and strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking “arsenal”.

Papua New Guinean Food Traditions and Festivals
The most important festivals held in Papua New Guinea include Flangipani and Warwagera and the Lunar New Year. The national holidays include Independence Day (September 16), New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Queen's Birthday, Remembrance Day (July 23), Christmas, Boxing Day. For national holidays Papuans gather and eat traditional food. A traditional dish prepared for national holidays or other feasts is mumu made with Pork, sweet potatoes, rice and greens. Dishes including taro, kau kau, yams, and sago and Pork meat are also served mostly during traditional feasts.

People in Papua New Guinean Food

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There are many chefs who creatively use the basic ingredients and cooking methods for traditional Papuan dishes and create original and delicious food variations. Papuan chefs are passionate about their traditional dishes and they enjoy presenting them to the for those who have never tasted them before. Whether they are cooking dishes that go back in time for centuries or brand new, modern dishes, Papuan chefs take pride in what they do, and this is readily noticeable in the unforgettable taste of their cooking.