Papua, the easternmost island in Indonesia, is a large island shared by Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Papua and West Papua Province of Indonesia. These provinces are similar in many ways, including their culinary wealth. To enumerate, there are several Papuan delicious dishes, some of them are already popular nationwide.
As with most of the eastern part of Indonesia, Papua traditionally relies on sago and fishes. Papua is indeed rich in seafood, as reflected on their traditional foods. Here are some of the most popular Papuan delicious dishes.
Papeda
There is nothing special about Papuan papeda. It is indeed just like papeda from other places in East Indonesia. It can be said that papeda to East Indonesian is rice to West Indonesian. Papeda is sago congee, made entirely from sago starch. Truly, papeda is the staple food of people from Maluku to Papua.
Ikan Bakar Manokwari
It literally means ‘Manokwari grilled fish’. Manokwari is the capital of West Papua province, located on the northwest corner of Cenderawasih Bay. The main ingredient of this dish is usually mackerel tuna. This fish is not too big but has a delectable taste and soft texture. They use special sauce and sambal that make Ikan Bakar Manokwari so delicious.
Udang Selingkuh
This one is a bit funny and odd. Udang Selingkuh literally means ‘cheating prawn’. The name stemmed from the fact that the prawn has rather huge pinchers so people assumed it was cheating with crabs. At any rate, these prawns are to die for. Steamed, fried, grilled… however you want it. These prawns will still taste wonderful.
Sate Ulat Sagu
Okay, this one is not for everyone. It is basically skewered and grilled caterpillar. However, it’s not just a regular caterpillar. They are sago caterpillar which can be really big. In detail, it is milky white with a brownish head. These caterpillars are grilled like satay, and it is considered a wonderful delicacy in Papua.
Kue Lontar
At a glance, you might mistake this with a pie. However, this cake is often thought to be the Papuan interpretation of milk pie. In particular, the name lontar presumably came from long tart, meaning round cake. This cake is crunchy outside but deliciously soft inside. Today, lontar is one of the most sought after souvenirs from Papua.
There are a lot of ways you can appreciate the wealth of Papua, one of them is by enjoying its culinary delights. Indeed, you need to visit this wonderful region and try the Papua delicious dishes.
