What to Eat in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea's food culture mirrors its rugged mountains, river deltas, and islands. A tropical climate shapes what grows where, from sago palms in lowland swamps to sweet potato thriving in cool highlands. Daily meals draw on garden produce, freshwater or coastal fish, and seasonal greens.

Cooking leans on hot stones, wood fires, and leaf-wrapped steaming that conserve fuel and enhance aroma. Coconut cream enriches coastal dishes, while the interior relies on tubers and leafy kumu. Meals are family-centered, with markets supplying ready-cooked staples and feasts marking social obligations.

Mumu is the earth-oven feast at the heart of Papua New Guinea celebrations, built by heating river stones in a log fire, lining a ground pit with banana leaves, and layering food to steam-roast in its own juices. Pork is customary, joined by kaukau (sweet potato), taro, yam, plantain, and heaps of aibika or other kumu; on the coast, coconut cream or grated coconut is added for richness, and pandanus leaves may be tucked in for fragrance. The mound is sealed with more leaves and soil so the trapped steam and radiant heat cook for several hours, yielding tender pork with blistered crackling, root crops that taste sweet and smoky, and greens that are silky and mineral from the leaf oils. Mumu anchors weddings, compensation exchanges, and public festivals such as the Goroka Show, and while typical of Highland communities it is prepared nationwide for large gatherings, often begun before dawn, blessed by elders, and shared at mid-day when the clan assembles.

Saksak is a dumpling made from the starch of the sago palm, central to food security in lowland Papua New Guinea. The pith is pounded, rinsed, and strained to collect starch, which is then crumbled, mixed with a little water, and shaped into small logs that are wrapped in banana or sago leaves and steamed over a wood fire. The result is bouncy and slightly elastic, with a neutral flavor that carries accompaniments well; along the Sepik and Gulf it is eaten with thick coconut cream and a savory gravy of smoked or fresh fish brightened with lime, while sweet versions may be paired with coconut and a little sugar or mashed banana. Saksak is everyday fare in river and mangrove communities and appears at markets in Port Moresby and Madang; the historic Hiri voyages linked Gulf sago to Motu-Koitabu households near the capital, a trade memory still reflected in what many families serve at home.

Tuluk, a specialty of the Tolai people in East New Britain, is a cassava parcel filled with seasoned pork and cooked on hot plates or over charcoal. Grated cassava is squeezed to remove liquid, lightly salted, and pressed into a dough that encases a filling of chopped pork, spring onion, and sometimes chili, then the log-shaped bundles are wrapped in banana leaves to keep them moist. As they cook, the cassava crust sets and develops toasty edges while the pork becomes juicy and aromatic; the contrast is satisfying, with a faintly earthy flavor from the leaf wrapper. Tuluk is sold warm at markets and roadside grills in and around Rabaul and carried to community gatherings or sports days, making it a convenient lunch or late-afternoon snack that travels well without cutlery.

Chicken pot is a widely cooked one-pot stew that unites coastal coconut with highland root crops in a format suited to everyday kitchens. Chicken pieces simmer with onion, garlic, ginger, and sometimes bird's eye chili, then coconut milk is added along with taro or kaukau, slippery aibika, and seasonal vegetables such as green beans or Chinese cabbage; some cooks finish with spring onion and a squeeze of citrus. The broth is creamy yet clean, scented by ginger and softened by coconut, with tender chicken and starchy chunks that thicken the sauce as they cook. You will meet chicken pot at family dinners in towns from Port Moresby to Goroka and in village feasts when a practical, filling dish is needed, often ladled over boiled kaukau or served with rice.

Pitpit, the edible shoot of a cane related to sugarcane (Saccharum edule), is a prized seasonal vegetable that locals treat like asparagus. Cooks slice the tender core and simmer it with coconut milk, ginger, and spring onion, often adding smoked fish or small river prawns; in villages without pots, bundles are wrapped in banana leaves and roasted beside the fire until steamy. The taste is grassy and nutty, softened by creamy coconut and carried by the salt and smoke of fish, while the texture stays pleasantly crisp. Pitpit appears in markets when in season and becomes a side dish or light meal with sago, kaukau, or rice, a reminder of how Papua New Guinean cooking flexes to what the bush and gardens provide at that moment.

Papua New Guinea's cuisine blends earth-oven technique, leaf-wrapped steaming, and coconut-rich broths with staples that shift from sago to kaukau as the landscape changes. Flavors are direct and garden-driven, with smoke, ginger, and local greens adding nuance rather than heavy spice. For more insight into destinations where weather, seasonality, and culture shape what's on the plate, explore additional food guides on Sunheron.com.