The cuisine of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

are the traditional varied foods found in the eastern part of the

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

island. Approximately 80% of the population is reliant on subsistence agriculture, so a large percentage of food energy and protein consumed in Papua New Guinea is produced locally, while the balance is imported. The staple foods in Papua New Guinea includes

root crops Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocotyl ...

, bananas, and

sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...

. Papua New Guinea's diet is largely vegetarian, especially in the Gulf and Highlands regions. Mumu is a traditional method of cooking large quantities of food throughout Papua New Guinea, as well as other islands in the Pacific. It consists of an

earth oven An earth oven, ground oven or cooking pit is one of the simplest and most ancient cooking structures. At its most basic, an earth oven is a pit in the ground used to trap heat and bake, smoke, or steam food. Earth ovens have been used in many pl ...

that is filled with hot coal or stones, that may be placed in different orientations, and subsequently cooked for a lengthy period of time. Despite the presence of advent ovens in Papua New Guinea, mumu is still prevalent at household level.

Beverages

Along with other islands in the western

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

, kava is usually made into a drink by mixing the root of the crop with water. It is a popular and non-alcoholic beverage.

Coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

is Papua New Guinea's second largest agricultural export, after

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its c ...

, and is majorly grown in the Highlands Region. Hence, coffee is a widely consumed beverage in the country. Apart from non-alcoholic drinks,

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

is an alcoholic beverage that is favoured among many Papua New Guineans.

Staples

Sago is a common and essential part of Papua New Guinean cuisine, 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 The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm ...

. Staples of the Papua New Guinean diet include

karuka The karuka (''Pandanus julianettii'', also called karuka nut and ''Pandanus'' nut) is a species of tree in the family Pandanaceae and an important regional food crop in New Guinea. The nuts are more nutritious than coconuts, and are so popul ...

, sweet potato (''kaukau''),

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

, breadfruit (''ulu''), and coconuts.

Coconut cream Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food in ...

is a delicacy often found in numerous local dishes of Papua New Guinea. Coastal regions traditionally use coconut milk and cream as a cooking medium, while the Highlands regions do not. Coconut oil is used on special occasions in the coastal regions. Meat proteins are occasionally consumed in Papua New Guinea. However, for people residing in coastal areas, seafood forms a substantial part of their diet.The Food of Papua New Guinea

ideo file IDEO () is a design firm, design and consulting firm with offices in the U.S., England, Germany, Japan, and China. It was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1991. The company's 700 staff uses a design thinking approach to design products, serv ...

(2015, September 24). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K2gU6VWwYE Pork is regarded as a celebratory meat in Papua New Guinea, and is prepared on special occasions, including Christmas feasts.

Notable dishes

* ''Mumu'' is regarded as the national dish of Papua New Guinea. It is composed of pork, sweet potato, rice, and vegetables. ''Mumu'' is an example of a balanced dish composed of the two bases, crops (including starch) and meat. The dish is named after the earth oven used traditionally. * Chicken pot is a dish consisting of chicken that has been stewed with mixed vegetables and

coconut cream Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food in ...

. * ''Kokoda'' is a dish consisting of fish that is cooked in a lime-coconut sauce. The dish is similar to ''

ceviche Ceviche () is a Peruvian dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lime or lemon. It is also spiced with '' ají'', chili peppers or other seasonings, and julienned red onions, salt, and cilantro are ...

''. ''Kokoda'' is also present in

Fijian cuisine Fijian cuisine has traditionally been a mix of forage and farm based ingredients. Native Fijians have a tuber and coconut based diet, though since the colonial period staples such as rice, flour, and tea have also become basic goods. Higher calor ...

. *''Saksak'' are dumplings composed of banana, ground sago, and sugar mixed and wrapped in a banana leaf, and are subsequently steamed. *''Dia'' is a dessert composed of sago and bananas cooked in coconut cream. Sugar is not added in some cooking exceptions. Instead, sweeter bananas are used to lend sweetness to the dish.

Culinary influences

The European invasion of Papua New Guinea, beginning in the 16th century, was the first foreign introduction to the local cuisine. European settlers imported livestock and crops to the region in the 19th century, which served significant commercial value. The cuisine and traditions of Papua New Guinea have assimilation with Indonesian New Guinea and other Pacific nations. The dish ''kokoda''—composed of fish cooked in a sauce of lime and coconut—is also present in

Fast food

Few fast food chains operate in Papua New Guinea. However, fast food chains operating in Papua New Guinea include

Hog's Breath Cafe Hog's Breath Cafe (also known as Hog's Australia's Steakhouse from 2016 to 2020), is an Australian and international restaurant chain and franchise of steakhouse restaurants. The restaurant purveys prime rib as its signature dish, which is slow ...

(an Australian

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as ...

chain),

Big Rooster Big Rooster is a chain of fast food restaurants in Papua New Guinea that specialises in roast chicken. The company began operations in 1987. As of 1992, it was part of a Queensland-based Australian chain of the same name which had four stores in Pa ...

(a locally-owned chicken shop chain) and Eagle Boys (an Australian

pizzeria A pizzeria is a restaurant focusing on pizza. As well as pizza, dishes at pizzerias can include kebab, salads and pasta. Many pizzerias offer take-away, where the customer orders their food either in advance or at the restaurant and then t ...

chain). There are no large American fast food chains in Papua New Guinea.

References