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Popular Local Customs | Miscellaneous Local Customs Tips | All Tips (4)  | |  |  | A Traditional 'Mumu' Feast | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
A 'mumu' is an earthen oven method of cooking, originally from the Highlands area of Papua New Guinea. Because the people of PNG traditionally had no cooking pots, except for one pot that they saved for special occasions, most food was roasted over a fire, which will do for a family but is an impractical way to cook for a larger party. The underground 'mumu' oven, on the other hand, is dug to fit the necessary specifications of available food and the number of people to be fed. We were invited to attend one of these feasts in Port Moresby by a local family who worked for one of our friends doing household tasks. After the hole was dug, stones were heated in it by burning wood on top of them. Once the fire had burned down, all but a thin layer of the hot stones were carefully removed, and a layer of large banana leaves was laid on the base layer of stones to steam the food. Then followed a layer of hard vegetables, including sweet potatoes and other traditional New Guinean vegetables. Then came another layer of hot stones, directly under the main chicken dish. Another layer of leaves covered the chicken, and then the whole thing was covered completely with earth. The pit would be left for several hours before the contents were dug up and eaten. We really enjoyed this amazing cultural experience but be prepared for the cooked meat to have a 'white' (steamed) appearance instead of the 'brown' (roasted) look familiar to Westerners!! The photo shows the young son of our friends as he helped to check out the final product! Leave a Comment
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A national PNG pasttime. It suppose to give chewers a more upbeat effect. It's like smoking and it is now becoming commercialised. It's one Kina for a hit! Leave a Comment
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on September 14, 2005
Port Moresby
on February 12, 2006
