Papua New Guinea, a country situated in Oceania, is bursting with cultural heritage and self expression. The cultural groups that occupy the area are quite diverse, displaying their self expression in different forms of art, architecture, clothing, and weaponry.

The local inhabitants rely solely on the farming, and in some areas hunt for wild plants to supplement their diet. Those who learn the skills to successfully hunt and work the land and become highly valuable in their cultural assemblage.

This particular culture has always fascinated me with their colorful rituals, locally called “sing sings”. The residents will use a keen eye to paint their bodies adding such items as feathers, animal skins, scenes from nature, and beading to represent the power of the earthly world.

The palates of color are representative of the local customs, as well as the local cuisines. Meats, fruits and vegetables from local markets initially start a dish, but the use of root vegetables like taro, kaukau, yams, sweet potato and sago are meant to give the food a flare and a hearty consistency. Local fruits are also incorporated into the recipes including such exotics like pawpaws, mangoes, and passion fruit, with the added addition of more familiar fruits like bananas and pineapples.

Root vegetables usually take shape in stews, being combined with meats, beans, and other local vegetables and greens. Of course you have to remember that the recipes of Papua New Guinea depend solely on availability. In some areas, the inhabitants will use local fruits like banana, sago, and coconut cream to create a type of soup that is both fresh and flavorful, without sacrificing color.

The majority of the residents have large stock pots or kettles that they use over the open fire pits, and in some cases kerosene stoves are used to replace open fires.

One of the most popular, or rather traditional recipes in the area is Mumu. Mumu is a dish combining greens, roast pork, rice, and sweet potato, although the recipe can be quite diverse depending on the area, family, or restaurant.

The first time I ever experienced Mumu was in Chicago when I visited my sister many years ago. We went out to an Indian restaurant nestled down a dark and dimly lit stone paved alley. You know, the kind of place you’re a bit afraid to try, but once you do you keep going back.

We sat on the floor, and you know how much that just thrills be to pieces. We ordered the Mumu which consisted of bananas, coconuts, pork, chicken, rice, sago, and banana leaves. The ingredients were roasted to perfection, and coconut cream drenched the top. Using my utensils, my hands, I dug into the Mumu and my mouth was more than thrilled. This was the very first time I had ever experienced coconut cream right from the pulp of the coconut.

After several years, being that I was more than obsessed with this type of cuisine, I started to experiment with the flavors. I recognized that the ingredients used in traditional Papua New Guinea food were similar to the Thai cuisine I was used to preparing, with the exception of the curry paste and mint leaves.

I created a dish combining acorn squash and chicken that incorporated the local fair of Papua New Guinea with, of course, my own twist.

Recipe

*1 lb of skinless chicken breast cut into cubes

*1 acorn squash

*1 yellow squash

*2 cups of coconut cream

* cup bok choy

* cup watercress

*2 garlic cloves pressed

*1 tablespoon chopped ginger

*2 tablespoons garlic oil or vegetable oil

Method

1) In a saute pan heat the oil.

2) Add half the garlic and the ginger to flavor the pan.

3) Add the chicken and cook thoroughly.

4) Add the coconut cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

5) Add the acorn squash and yellow squash and cook for 10 minutes.

6) Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.

7) Serves 4-6

Note: This dish can be eaten with your hands out of the saute pan, although a bit messy. Or, it can be served in a large wooden bowl on a bed of rice.

The key to cooking Papua New Guinea food is to be self expressive, don’t be afraid to use color, and always take risks.