PortMoresby travel guide

Mumu (earth oven)

Papua New Guinea's ancient communal cooking—pork, chicken, sweet potato and greens wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked over hot river stones in an underground earth oven for 3-4 hours; organized for village celebrations and cultural gatherings

Kaukau (sweet potato)

The staple food of PNG's highlands—boiled, roasted or baked sweet potato eaten alongside everything; PNG's volcanic highlands produce over 50 varieties ranging from purple to orange; the daily energy source of 7 million Highlanders

Sago

PNG's ancient coastal and lowland starch from the sago palm; processed into starch and eaten as sago pancakes cooked over open fires or as sago congee; the dietary staple of river delta communities in the Gulf Province and Western Province

Fresh seafood

PNG's extraordinary marine biodiversity yields lobster, crayfish, reef crab and snapper across the Coral Sea and Bismarck Sea; Port Moresby waterfront restaurants source fish directly from local fishermen; quality varies with the day's catch

Betel nut (cultural, not recommended)

The green areca nut chewed with lime powder and pepper leaf is ubiquitous throughout PNG society—a social stimulant, greeting ritual and cultural identifier; the red juice stains teeth and streets; offered as greeting, health impacts are documented