Brimming with culture and diverse charm is one of the reasons west Papua is loved. Other than its vast assortment of natural wealth, you can find ranges of west Papua culture and culinary in the location. Some of the delicacies are open and available for tourists. And if you are up for some challenges, check out this list and try the taste in West Papua.
The Traditional Dish And Culinary Attraction
1. Papeda
A staple food of the native Papuan is papeda. The Papuan papeda itself is a special delicacy that is hard to say no. While it does appear like normal rice and looks like nothing, it is an identity that shouts out West Papua. Things that make Papeda unique is the ingredient. It is a sago congee, which is made entirely from sago starch.
The sago flour base is served in the form of porridge and scorching hot. It has no taste. So, you will need to eat it with another menu such as fish or soup. In other words, the sago papeda serve just like rice in Indonesia. The traditional west Papua culture and culinary is very popular. That is why you can find it in most of the local culinary services.
2. Mumu
Another interesting local cuisine is Mumu that refers to the traditional fish dish cooked with varying ingredients. It fuses many materials, such as sweet potatoes, rice, greens, and porks. It is more on the traditional side since it is cooked using hot rocks. It is very unique, which you can find during the festival.
3. Sago Caterpillar
If you are looking for more challenges, the Sago caterpillar dish is the perfect cuisine. It is probably one of the most unique foods that are not for everyone. The main ingredient is the sago caterpillar which is harvested from sago trees. It is big and has a brownish head. While it sounds very daring, the sago caterpillar is one of the authentiest Papua culture and culinary.
4. Kue Lontar
For a more modern cuisine, Kue lontar is the tourist’s favorite. The cake itself resembles a pie, from the shape to the visual. However, the cake itself is known as a local interpretation or way to make milk pie. For your information, it has a softer inside with a crunchy outer layer. It is named from long tarts that means round cake.
5. Manokwari Grilled Fish
Another dish that shows the West Papuan delicacies is the grilled fish. Fish is one of the staple food for the coastal native. In this case, most of the ingredients come from the mackerel tuna. It has a medium size, soft texture, and luscious taste. To attract more tourists, the west Papua culture and culinary can be found around the northwest corner of Cendrawasih bay.
Those are some of the culinary attractions in west Papua. Tourists can find most traditional food on the tourist destinations, such as the kue lontar, Manokwari grilled fish, and papeda. Meanwhile the more traditional food, most of them are for native or tribe consumption. It later can be found at one of the cultural inauguration or festival agendas.
