PAPUAAROUND — Papeda is one of the most iconic and well-known Papua specialties. Papeda is a famous sago-based food from Papua. Padeda has a thick texture and mild taste. This food is made from sago trees that papua have been squeezed, dried and cooked.
Complementary to papeda there is fish in yellow sauce and various vegetables to make it even more delicious. Papeda is usually enjoyed in large crowds because a fairly large portion has been made. Eating papeda is more exciting because of togetherness.
Papua people usually eat papeda with strands and hot. Strands are traditional wooden cutlery for serving papeda, while hotels are wooden plates used for eating papeda.
Papeda’s Philosophy
The Sentani people call the tradition of eating papeda from the same plate in one family as helai mbai hote mbai. Mbai means one. Papeda’s philosophy, mentioned by Charles Toto, means that in one family, we keep stories for the future of our children and grandchildren.
Because the joint meal which marks the bond of kinship becomes a space for discussion between fathers, mothers and children. A small space for deliberation.
However, unfortunately the existence of papeda is increasingly displaced by rice. Charles Toto observed that this change had taken place a long time ago. As a child, around seven years old, he was familiar with rice. At that time there was a government policy to open rice fields in Papua. “In the past there was a stigma that eating rice was modern, that rice was for people who could afford it, that the class of rice was higher than papeda,” explained Charles Toto.
He continued, “This information made people from the village feel that eating papeda and fish was of lower quality, so they then flocked to look for rice,” explained Charles Toto.
Because of that, he always aggressively delivered the message that what they had in the village was actually better. He hopes that the people of Papua understand that preserving local food is important.
Papeda is a gluten-free food that is suitable for people who are on a diet and adherents of a healthy lifestyle. Papeda’s raw material, namely sago, is available from Indonesia, so you don’t have to bother buying imported healthy food.
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