IV. Names and dishes of plants, animals, and sea life consumed in the islands.

A. Fruits

i. Pandanus (Faas ;Pohu; Pohuae)

In the Southwest islands, there are two pandanus species, faase and pohuae. The former has smaller, itchy fruit and leaves, while pohuae has bigger fruits and wider and thicker leaves.

Name of dish: Faase/ Pohuae Uumu(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Pandanus

Preparation: The fruit cluster is placed in an underground oven, then kept there for three to four hours. Afterwards, the individual fruits are chewed at the soft, yellowish tips, then sucked on to extract sweet juice.

Note: Both faase and pohuae are placed in earthoven, but they can otherwise be chewed on as is without further preparation, called faase yamat. The latter species can be eaten when the fruits are still young and green. Unlike faase, pohuae's fruit is crunchy and edible when young. Usually small children would snack on the fruits this way without cooking, roasting or the like. The seeds also can be split open, and small nuts (about four) can be found, which are eaten.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Mechar ri Pohuae(Tobi)

Ingredients: Pandanus fruit, coconut toddy

Preparation: Harvest a whole cluster of the fruits and keep it until it turns ripe and yellow. When ripe, fill a bowl with coconut toddy, then dip the soft sections of the individual fruits into the bowl, then suck on the end to extract juice until only the fibers are left. Afterwards, the fruits can be cut open and the small nuts inside are eaten.^xxiv

ii. Breadfruit; Seeded breadfruit(Usukae; Not Present; Usukae) (Maai; Maai, Maai)

Breadfruit, as with many other Pacific islands, is a very important staple in the Southwest Islands. Almost all the inhabited islands there have them. In variety distribution, Sonsorol and Merir have both varieties, while Pulo Anna and Tobi have only the seeded breadfruit variety.

A great spectrum of dishes could be made from breadfruit, both fresh and preserved. However, though a complimentary dish to fish and other meats, it was never placed in one's mouth at the same time with any meat. The whole dish of breadfruit was first eaten, then the meats eaten separately. It was said that if they were placed in the mouth at the same time, all the breadfruits remaining on the trees would rot from the inside and be inedible.ⁱⁱ

On Sonsorol island in the past, there was a special custom involved with the harvesting of breadfruit. This custom is known as Iraleuau, where if a person(s) heads towards a breadfruit tree to harvest its fruits and sees a person(s) who was near the site, he/she would go on collecting the amount desired. When reaching home, that person would parcel the fruits picked, and several would be given to the person who was seen near the breadfruit tree.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol), Ribweribweri bwihir(Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Seeds from seeded breadfruit

Preparation: A pit about two feet deep is dug in the ground, in an open area where rainwater may fall upon it. Young fronds from a coconut sprout are placed on the walls of the pit, from top to bottom and in one layer. The fronds are ordered in a manner that when one frond is laid, pointing upwards, the next would lie to one side of the frond, and about half of it would lie over the previous frond. This trend is repeated in one direction, following the perimeter of the pit until reaching the first frond. A number of rows of fronds are made until they approach the edges of the pit on ground level. Next, the seeds(with shells intact) are placed in the pit, then more young coconut fronds are placed over the seeds. One makes sure that there is no gap where dirt could fall onto the seed. Covered with a layer of dirt, they are preserved and preventing from growing any shoots. The seeds can be kept in the pit for 1 month.ⁱⁱ

Note: The depth of the pit depends on the amount of seeds that are intended to be placed in it. When placing in seeds, the depth of the pit and the amount of seeds must allow for about six inches of dirt to cover the top, when it would be then level with the ground. One must be careful with the laying of leaves on top of the seeds, because if water finds its way onto the seeds, they will develop shoots and that is not wanted.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Bwihir Dudur(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Bwihir Susur(Tobi)

Ingredients: Breadfruit seeds

Preparation: Nuts are collected, then placed on a weak open fire and left to burn until the shells become brittle, crack, or are burned off by the fire. Eaten as is, or along with grated coconut.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Bwihiri Pao( Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Susuni Bwihir(Tobi)

Ingredients: Breadfruit seeds, grated coconut meat, sugar

Preparation: Nuts are placed in a pot and cooked, with water about 1 inch above level of nuts. Once their shells crack, they are discarded and the nuts are pounded in a wooden bowl, simultaneously mixing them with grated coconut meat and sugar. When all the nuts have been pounded into a large mush, small round balls, about the size of a chicken egg, are made from it. Served in a tray in one layer or more.

Note: In the past, to cook the seeds, they were placed in coconut shells, with water poured into it until near their brim. Placed in an earthoven, they are left to cook for 3 hours..ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Usukae farae(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Mature and firm breadfruit, salt, sugar, coconut/salad oil

Preparation: Breadfruit is peeled, then either cut slantwise into thin, circular slices, or sliced first in half lengthwise, then each side is parceled into 2-3 elongated pieces, then cored. The thickness of the slices may range from the thickness of a finger or thinner. In a pan, coconut or salad oil is heated. Slices are sprinkled with little salt or sugar, then fried in the pan until yellow or golden brown.

Note: though this dish can be preserved, the islanders of Sonsorol prefer to eat them right away instead of containing them to preserve.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Usukae Pao(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Mature breadfruit, coconut milk, sugar

Preparation: Breadfruit is peeled, cut lengthwise into four elongated slices, cored, then cooked for 45 minutes in a pot of toddy (mixed with water) that rises to about an inch below level of slices. Once cooked, they are pounded, while still hot, along with grated coconut meat until very soft and fine. Afterwards, the mush is shaped with the hands into a ball with the dimensions of a coconut shell or slightly bigger. Served on a tray.ⁱⁱ

Note: Especially when men in the past are working on building projects (i.e. house, canoe) or when there is a party, instead of shaping the mush into a large ball, chunks are taken and shaped into morsel-sized balls. Women use the tip of a finger to make a deep indentation on top of the balls. Coconut milk is sweetened with sugar, then scalded in a pot. Afterwards, the balls are placed neatly on a tray as a layer, then the coconut milk poured on top. More than one layer of balls can be made, but coconut milk must be poured over every layer.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Usukae Dudur(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Breadfruit, coconut milk, sugar

Preparation: Breadfruit is placed into a prepared fire, then roasted until skin is charred completely. When done, the charred skin is scraped off with a knife to reveal a slightly brownish layer. This layer is too removed using the knife. The breadfruit is cored, then pounded similar to Usukae Pao, shaped into small balls. Lastly, coconut milk, sweetened with sugar is poured over themⁱⁱ.

Note: On the islands, some natives prefer to, after having removed the charred skin and coring it, could eat the fruit as is along with grated coconut meat or sweetened coconut meat; pounding unnecessary.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropir eri Maai(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: seeded breadfruit, coconut milk, water, coconut toddy (optional)

Preparation: Seeded breadfruits, after being cooked in an earthoven, is seeded, pounded until soft, then mixed vigorously with a slightly bigger amount of water and toddy. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Wuhgo Peruper(Sonsorol), Yalo Peruper(Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Ripe and soft seeded breadfruit, mature and firm breadfruit

Preparation: Coconut fronds from a young coconut sprout are torn in the middle by the midrib, then each side is tied at one end to the other. Several more coconut fronds are joined to make three ropes. Another rope, which is longer than the first three, is too made of coconut fronds, but is the first to be placed flat on the ground, and the three other ones are placed perpendicularly on top of it. Two layers of the leaves of Elephant's Ear Taro, each with two leaves of similar size, are placed perpendicularly atop the ropes. They are paired two by two, and for each pair, one is placed directly atop the other and the sharp ends of the heart-shaped leaves face in opposite directions. They also stick out a few inches beyond the cleavage of the partner leaf. The top ends of banana leaves are cut in lengths that are identical to the length of the Elephant's Ear leaves, their midribs cut thin, then heated over fire to become soft. They are then placed on top of the taro leaves in two layers.

In another step, breadfruit is peeled, cut into four elongated slices, then cored. Each slice is broken into two, three, or four smaller slices. About two layers of these pieces are placed on top of the prepared leaves. Then a layer of yellow, ripe and soft seeded breadfruit is poured over the first two layers equally. Following this layer is another two layers of mature, ripe breadfruit. Coconut milk, mixed with coconut toddy and a little water, is then poured over the breadfruit. The edges of the Elephant's Ear leaves and the banana leaves are folded up to cover the breadfruit. The three ropes that lay flat on the ground beneath the leaves are then bound over the leaves. The third rope is brought up, then bound on its two ends across the three shorter ropes. This wrapping is placed in an earthoven for four hours. While cooking underground, a basket made of coconut frond is made according to the size of the wrapping being cooked. It is long and thin, made so that when the cooked wrapping is placed into it, the wrapping will fall short of about six inches from the brim of the basket. Once cooked, the wrapping is placed into basket, which is laid on its side and pressed flat on both sides. The breadfruit is left in the basket to cool, and afterwards it is unwrapped and parceled with a knife. By then it would have congealed and turned cake-like.ⁱⁱ

Note: There is a substitute method for using young coconut fronds as rope. A section of a large coconut frond, usually the widest section of it, is cut long enough to stretch across the width of the Elephant's Ear leaves when they are laid side by side. When the wild taro and banana leaves are brought up over the breadfruit mixture, all the coconut leaflets on one side of the coconut midrib are tied above the leaves with the opposite pairs.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Pasapas ari Maai Mmas(Sonsorol), Sapoluk (Pulo Anna), Pachapach eri Mmei(Tobi)

Ingredients: Soft and ripe seeded breadfruit

Preparation: Ripe breadfruit is peeled, seeded, cored (optional), then shaped into balls about the size of a coconut or a basketball. Wrapped in several leaves of seeded breadfruit or umau(about three to six), forming one layer, then a layer of several fronds of a coconut sprout. Each ball is bound with hiriau roots, then placed in an underground oven and left overnight. Next day, the fruits may be eaten or prepared further into other dishes.ⁱⁱ

Preservation: The method of haafaure is used, where the oven is set again, then left for a day without restarting fire. The following day the fire is restarted in the oven, then left for two days. The gap between every single rekindling lengthens by 1 day until the days between will be ten. This is not exceeded, as leaving for more than ten days will allow mold to grow on the balls. This preservation method is done for maximum of 2 months. The leaves of the balls can be changed anytime if they had been burned badly or have been torn extensively.

Note: could also be wrapped in the leaves of watil, but is not preserved as it does not last long.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropiro ri Pasapas(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Breadfruit from pasapas, coconut milk and toddy, sugar, water

Preparation: The preserved breadfruit is removed from the oven, unwrapped, and placed into a basin. After being fragmented into very small chunks, water is added to it and the mixture is stirred vigorously to blend well. Next, coconut milk, sugar and toddy are added until a desired consistency of the liquid mixture is reached. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Rutukutuk(Tobi)

Ingredients: Soft, ripe seeded breadfruit

Preparation: one breadfruit is removed of its fruit stem, wrapped in a single breadfruit leaf, then bound with string removed from the skin of coconut midrib, this wrapping, along with others, is placed is an earthoven and left overnight. Eaten next day and is not preserved.^xxiv

Name of dish: Usukae Kuk(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Breadfruit, coconut milk or toddy

Preparation: Cut breadfruit into four elongated slices. Remove inner pith and then peel off skin. Cut each slice into 3 pieces by angling your knife at a diagonal direction. Place in a pot with water just a few inches below level of breadfruit. Add coconut milk or toddy. Cover with either banana or Elephant's Ear leaves. Cook until slices are soft and can be punctured easily with a fork's tips.ⁱⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Maahga(Sonsorol), Maala(Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Ripe but firm mature breadfruit preferably from usukae, coconut milk, coconut toddy, sugar, water

Preparation: Breadfruit is harvested in a large amount, then are peeled, cored and seeded. Next, they are halved, then each half is sliced lengthwise into six thin slices. The number of pieces made from one fruit depends on its size. These pieces are collected in a basket, which is then bound close at its rims with string. Tied on a line to a heavy rock in the reef, it is left for 2 day, after which they are removed. Still kept in the basket, the fruits are placed atop a few layers of the leaves of either mok, tree heliotrope, or young coconut fronds, then covered on the top with the same leaves. Leave the heap for about 3 days until they have turned soft. The basket is covered so as to prevent the slices from exposure from moving air, where if leaves were absent, the surface of the slices would turn flaky and slightly dry.

The next phase is to place the breadfruit in the ground, with protective covering of leaves in the same order and kind as in the burying of wax apple in the form of bulhou. But in this step, the person carrying out the task would place the fruits in small increments, not all at once, into the hole, pressing down on the mush with the hands each time to make the fruits compact in the hole. When all has been placed, the pit is covered, then left for 5 days, where in the end the leaves would be replaced, then arranged in the same manner as before. The pit's leaves are constantly changed, and every time it is done, the length of time left until the next changing of leaves lengthens, so starting from five days, the length between that change and the next would extend to two weeks, then a month. In the process the breadfruit would then start to dry up and harden. Once when it has completely dried up, a desired amount of the breadfruit can be removed from the pit (the pit and remaining breadfruit can be covered again), then placed in a wooden bowl filled with water. In the bowl it is broken up with the hands, then the water stirred for a time to allow the particles to disperse well. The breadfruit is then left to settle at the bottom of bowl. This allows any unwanted seeds and insects to float up to the surface of the water. It too also helps to remove the very sour taste and foul stench the breadfruit has when removed from the ground. This step is repeated as many times as necessary until all the unwanted seeds and insects are no longer present and a bearable degree sourness and smell is left. It is then that the basin could be removed of water and the breadfruit ready for the next step.

Entering another phase, a traditional lavalava for women, called masiya, is placed flat on top of unwoven coconut fronds. Four short, thick logs are placed underneath the edges of the lavalava so that they point upwards. The breadfruit is then poured onto the lavalava and the longer sides of the lavalava are brought together above the mush. Once brought together, the edges are curved down in a spiraling roll directly on top of the contained breadfruit. The shorter sides are folded too to prevent the breadfruit from spilling out. Afterwards, while holding the lavalava at the rolled edges, the breadfruit is squeezed, pressed and shoved with the hands or pressed on with the outer side of the knee (person sits upright, then extends one bended knee over the rolled lavalava, then presses on top of it with both hands) to remove any remaining water. Once that is done, The breadfruit is then placed into a bowl in small increments, and with the assistance of a small amount of coconut milk, the breadfruit is then pressed, pushed and shoved with the base of the palms in a repetitive movement, pushing away from oneself and fanning out the breadfruit in the bowl, then bringing them back and pushing and pressing again several more times. This will help the breadfruit become soft and consistent. Afterwards it may be made into several dishes.ⁱⁱ

Maahga is a preserve, and may last for about 1 year. It is prepared commonly when a breadfruit season is about to end, and made into any number of dishes for special occasions. Furthermore, natives of Sonsorol sometimes use a fallen coconut trunk when squeezing out the juice from the breadfruit. The maahga is placed into a lavalava, then having it securely folded, a person would place it on top of the trunk and parallel to it, then squeeze and press it with the hands to remove the juice. This is a preferred method because as the juice is pushed out, it drips downward and does not linger near the lavalava, as compared to doing it using a basin or a tapiya board.

Furthermore, when the breadfruit is being contained in the pit, the heavy rocks on top of it will force the fruits to squeeze out fluid from their masses, thus making them shrink and more compact. As a result, the pit will seem to cave in when the leaves and the rocks that lie on top of it will begin to sink into the pit. Islanders usually put in more additions of breadfruit first scooping out the breadfruit from the pit with one's hands and temporarily placing into a harais basket that is laden internally with a single, wide leaf of Elephant's Ear Taro. While the pit is vacant, the new addition of breadfruit, after having undergone the same process of soaking in saltwater, is placed onto the bottom of the pit, then topped with the older breadfruit that was placed there first, The two layers are separated by a few layers of breadfruit leaves. The next addition may be placed on top of the pit (separated too by breadfruit leaves) and so do any later additions. Over time, when changing the leaves of the pit and noticing that these add-ins start to lose fluid and become dry, the partitions of leaves may be removed and the different layers may be mixed using one's bare hands, then the pit covered again.

Moreover, in the first step in the preparation of this preserve, natives of Sonsorol in the past usually prefer a safer way of soaking the breadfruit in saltwater, instead of running the risk of the basket being washed away by strong currents. Breadfruit is cut into elongated slices, then each slice parceled into three smaller pieces. A wooden basin called Tapyeri Nap is filled halfway with seawater, then the breadfruit pieces are dropped into it. 2-3 coconut fronds are cut to a length that allows the frond to span the length of the bowl's interior. Being placed right side up, the fronds are pushed down, submerged in the saltwater. Husks from green, mature coconuts are placed facing downwards on top of the fronds to serve as weight to keep the breadfruit from floating. Wooden boards or two by fours can be placed atop the husks to serve as extra weight. The basin is left like this for two days until the fruits are soft. It cannot be left any longer as the fruits might turn too soft and make it difficult to scoop them out of the water.

There are modern methods that have replaced some steps of the preparation of Maahga. Today, when the natives make it, instead of placing the breadfruit slices in baskets and leaving them in the sea, a huge cauldron is filled with seawater, the breadfruits placed inside. Leaves of Elephant's Ear Taro are placed on top of the slices, then coconut husks are placed atop the leaves. It is left overnight as in the traditional method.ⁱⁱ

As to the leaves needed for the preservation pit, natives today have employed the use of canvas or thick strips of plastic in place of the leaves. These are cut into sizes about two feet in length and a foot and a half in width. The only leaves present in the pit are the small, woven coconut fronds that are placed at the very bottom of the pit. These sheets are placed all along the walls of the hole, arranged in a way where the side edges of each sheet are either placed atop the side edge of the sheet towards its one side, then the opposite side beneath the side edge of another. This pattern is the same with all sheets aligned at the perimeter of the hole.

Cement sacks are also employed in yet another step, when it comes to squeezing acrid juices out of the fermented fruits. In this process the sacks replace the lavalavas used formerly. They are preferred as they are strong and could filter the juices much more effectively.

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Maahga, coconut milk and toddy, water

Preparation: Maahga, once it has been cleaned, is blended with coconut milk, toddy, water and sugar in the bowl. Small amounts are then placed onto young coconut fronds, then shaped similar to a sausage, about eight inches in length. The edges of the leaves are folded up and over the mixture, then a thin string is tied at one end of the leaf, then the string systematically wound around the whole length of the leaf, then wrapping the other end of the leaf, the string is terminated. This is similar to the preparation of the wrapping for bilumu ri fadol. Placed in a pot with water several centimeters above the wrappings. Cooked for about 1 hour.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Sirakhoraki ri Maahga (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Maahga, island arrowroot starch, water

Preparation: Maahga, after being removed from the ground and cleaned, is mixed in a bowl with mohumohu starch, both of which are in equal amounts. Water is added as the two are being mixed to assist in integrating the two ingredients well, and to give the mixture an almost watery texture, but maintaining a vestige of thickness in it. Separately, a tray is laden with banana leaves (Which have been heated shortly over a fire) or tin foil on its surface, after which the mixture is poured into it. Placed in an earthoven for 3 hours.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Boliboli ri Maahga(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Maahga, coconut toddy and milk, water, sugar

Preparation: Maahga, after it has been cleaned, is mixed with small amounts of coconut milk and toddy, and a very small amount of water, just enough to give the mixture an almost doughy texture. Taken in small chunks, the mush is shaped into small balls (about the size of small marbles) by rolling the chunks between the palms into a round shape. In a pot, a mixture of coconut milk, toddy and sugar is heated. Once it boils, the balls are dumped slowly, one by one, into the pot. One churns the mixture slowly to avoid breaking up the balls, but also to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Constant vigilance is observed, the stirring maintained until all the balls have risen to the surface of the liquid. This indicates that they are cooked, but they must also be tasted, bitten through to taste the inside to see if they are cooked thoroughly.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Magadappir(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients:, maahga, small amount of water, coconut toddy or syrup

Preparation: Maahga, after it has gone through all the different stages of cleaning, dehydrating, is mixed with very little water, coconut toddy and syrup, with no coconut oil or milk added. Only enough of the liquid ingredients is applied so that the mixture could be cupped easily with one's hands, then squeezed and shaped into a ball about the size of a baseball. Each is wrapped in about four seeded breadfruit leaves, then one frond from a coconut sprout over them. Tied securely with a thin root of hiriau, it is placed in an earthoven to cook for 3-4 hours.

Note: This dish was made in the past when people would visit other islands on their canoes. Because it contains little water, coconut toddy or syrup, it will not spoil easily and was ideal for voyages. Under sail, they were eaten in small amounts along with coconut meat.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Buhou ri Mei (Tobi)

Ingredients: Soft, ripe seeded breadfruit

Preparation:

1. Seeded breadfruit, when mature and ripe, are peeled, seeded; the core could be left on. About four of the fruits are bunched together into a single giant taro leaf, then wrapped into a medium-sized ball about the size of a mature grapefruit. Bound securely with fronds from a coconut sprout, they are placed in an earthoven for about half a day. While cooking, a pit is dug that is about a foot deep and two feet in width, though this truly depends on the amount of breadfruit one wants to preserve. Next, four woven sections of dried(but not frail) coconut fronds, called ribweri buhou, are placed against the ground, with the coconut midrib at the bottom and the tips of the leaflets pointing out of the ground. When arranged, they are paired to each other in opposite directions. For two woven fronds, their coconut midribs are placed parallel to and touch each other. The next two would be placed atop them, in the same manner as the last, but in a perpendicular angle against them. Then at the center, another single woven frond is placed across the x-figure made by the last four. Next, another four woven fronds are placed in the pit, covering any thinly-covered are that the last four can't reach. They must also be long enough so they may stick about a 1½ foot out of the pit. The next step is to place the leaves of breadfruit into the pit, but first removing the short stem at its base; put in an arrangement similar to the breadfruit leaves in bulhou of Sonsorol, but having a collective thickness of about 4 inches. Furthermore, they are piled upwards, but stop short of the surface at only 4 inches. Next, the cooked ripe breadfruit is packed and compressed in the pit by hand. Once filled, a layer of breadfruit leaves, of equal thickness with those in the pit's walls, is placed over the fruits. The sections of woven fronds sticking out of the ground are then folded over the leaves, also similar to bulhou in Sonsorol. Afterwards, two of the woven ribweri buhou are placed parallel to each other and on top of the leaves. Then lastly, medium-sized conglomerate rocks, found on the reef flats, are placed over the pit to secure the leaves. In this way, the breadfruit can be preserved for about a year, but after every 3 months, the leaves and weavings must be changed and placed back in the same order.

2. At first, the ripe fruits are cooked and the hole is dug, similar to above. Meanwhile, weavings called hirie buhou are made from dried coconut fronds. Though similar in weaving technique, this differs from ribweri buhou by its length, which is almost 2 meters. Next, the woven leaflets are removed from the coconut midrib by hitting them at the base to dislodge them from the midrib. They are then arranged in the pit, the first lying flat against the ground and centered so that both ends rise out of the opposite edges of the pit by about a 1 ½. The second is laid perpendicularly to the first. The third lies over the center of the bottom two, crossing the x-figure. About 7 more of these weavings are placed in the pit until all the dirt has been covered.

On the next phase, breadfruit leaves are placed in, but unlike the method above. To begin, three leaves are paired with the hands, the second leaf facing a direction opposite of the first, and the third facing the same direction as the first. Another pair of leaves are done this way, then added with the first pair, being parallel but not directly atop each other. Rather, the base end of the second pair should be held slightly towards the upper half of the first pair. In this way, the pairs are placed horizontally into the pit instead of pointing upwards, covering first the bottom of the pit, then advancing up the walls. However, when adding new layers, the next should always be inserted behind the top of the last layer and above it to insure that the arrangement does not collapse. Afterwards, the breadfruit is placed in until at an almost even level with the ground surface, then covered by another thick layer of breadfruit leaves. The ends of the weavings sticking out of the ground are folded over the leaves, then lastly are covered with several shorter weavings of hirie buhou. One then delicately stomps atop the pit to compress it, then places heavy rocks atop to serve as permanent weight.^xxiv

Note: For making buhou, Tobians prefer not to put new additions of breadfruit into the pit as they do not desire mixing fruits of different age. For this they make new pits to preserve more fruits.^xx

Name of Dish: Tohoha (Tobi)

Ingredients: Mature and firm seeded breadfruit, coconut toddy, sweet coconut juice or milk

Preparation: Mature breadfruit is collected, then placed in an earthoven and left overnight. Next day, the pit is opened and the fruits are peeled and seeded. One can choose to discard or leave the core on. Placed in a pounding board, the breadfruit is mashed along with whole coconut apples. A small, measured amount of coconut toddy or milk is poured into the mixture as a sweetener and also as an aid in easing the work of pounding the mush.

Note: Buhou from seeded breadfruit can also be used for this dish, but is usually not cleaned. There is a difference in taste that depends on whether you use buhou or the cooked breadfruit. Both dishes would be sour, but with the buhou, the dish would be more sour than with the cooked breadfruit. Without using the preservation method of Habwetchi , the dish would be good for only half a day.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Piropiro ri Mei (Tobi)

Ingredients: Young, firm breadfruit, sweet coconut juice, soft coconut meat

Preparation: Breadfruit are washed clean with water and their fruit stem are snapped off. The fruits are then placed into a woven basket and laden with 3 layers of breadfruit on the bottom and sides. The breadfruit are placed in and 3 more layers of breadfruit are placed above them; this is to prevent flowing air from reaching the fruits. The basket is then left for 4 days, when afterwards they are found to be ripe. Next, the fruits are peeled, seeded, then mashed only lightly and briefly on a board. Once the desired texture is attained, the fruits are mixed in a bowl with desired amounts of sweet coconut juice and soft coconut meat. Served as a drink.^xx

Name of Dish: Susur ri Mei(Tobi)

Ingredients: Mature and firm seeded breadfruit

Preparation: A small number of breadfruit are collected and their fruit steam are snapped off from the base. Using strong, thin sticks, the fruits are pierced through at the base from where the stem once stuck out, straight through the core and out the other end. An open fire is prepared, and when it becomes strong, the fruits are held over the fire using the sticks, turning the sticks to expose all areas of the fruits to the fire. Once all of the outer skin is completely charred and skin could be pierced easily with a stick, then it is cooked. Can be eaten along with sliced or grated coconut meat.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Fiyefiya ri Buhou(Tobi)

Ingredients: Grated coconut meat, coconut milk, coconut toddy, firm and mature seeded breadfruit

Preparation: Mature seeded breadfruit is collected and placed in a prepared underground oven and left overnight. Next day, the fruits are peeled, cored and seeded, then pounded along with grated coconut meat or a very small amount of coconut milk to improve taste and prevent the stone from sticking to the mixture. Once the mixture is soft and well-integrated, coconut toddy is added and blended vigorously until a watery consistency is attained. Served as a drink.

Note: Breadfruit that has been prepared as buhou can be used for this dish.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Fiyefiya ri Mecha ri Mei(Tobi)

Ingredients: Soft, ripe seeded breadfruit, coconut toddy, soft coconut meat, sweet coconut juice

Preparation:

1. Ripe seeded breadfruit is harvested, then peeled, seeded and cored. Placed into a wooden bowl, they are mashed and squeezed using one's bare hands. Once it is considerably fragmented and refined into a mush, water, coconut toddy and milk are added in desired ratios and amounts, observing how consistent does one want it to be. Served as a drink. ^xxiv

2. Breadfruit is peeled, seeded, cored, then mashed and squeezed with one's bare hands. In a bowl, sweet coconut juice and soft coconut meat are added to the breadfruit, then the mixture is mixed vigorously, its consistency is observed until the desired thickness is attained. Served as a drink.^xxiv

Note: These dishes do not last long, and would be favorable for only half a day. Afterwards they would turn sour. As for the second form of the dish, coconut milk could be used as a replacement for the coconut meat, although that is not usually preferred. ^xxiv

iii. (Tafaso;Tafach;Tafaso) (English name not available)

This plant is not abundant in the islands, even though natives of the Southwest islands and mainland Palau find it a very effective medicinal herb. It has fruits that give a strong, fragrant odor but as yet was eaten in the past. Of all the Southwest islands, only Tobians did not consume them.^xiv

Name of Dish: Tafaso(Sonsorol)

Preparation: Tafaso was eaten as is when ripe, and in no other way. But when it is found to be not ripe yet, a shallow hole is dug in the sand, then young coconut fronds from a coconut sprout are laid in the hole, and the fruits are put on top of them. Another layer of young coconut fronds is placed atop the fruits, then covered with sand. The hole is then left for about 3 days until the fruits ripen.ⁱⁱ

iv. Papaya(Babaiya; Babaiya; Babaiya)

There is a story regarding the origin of the papaya. Once a canoe with a crew of several males and one female were traveling to mainland Palau and came to the shores of the southerly island of Peleliu. A local chief welcomed them and gave them hospitality. But Peleliu at that time was a vassal state to the island of Koror, so news went there of the visiting crew. Emissaries were sent, and the woman was taken to Koror, as it was custom at the time for all foreign women to be subject to concubination. So she was taken to Koror. After a while the male crew decided that they wanted to go down south again, so they went to tell their female counterpart. She was saddened they would think of leaving her, so the crew promised that on the next full moon, they would come back and take her in a death-defying escape. This they did, and before they had left for good, they made a stop at the island of Angaur. There an old man, with generosity, gave the crew a stock of papayas and pumpkins. The crew then left to the Southwest, distributing the seeds of the two fruits to the inhabited islands.^viii

The plant's fruits and also the flowers and attached stems are eaten. It is especially abundant in Sonsorol, and natives there eat it more as a vegetable.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Bobai farae(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Firm and ripe papaya, salad or coconut oil or pig lard

Preparation: Papaya is peeled, then sliced thinly. Next, a pan of oil is heated, and once it boils, the slices are placed in and fried until they have a brown or reddish color.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Babaiya Ma Fadol(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Mature papaya, still green, but with spots of yellow, cooking banana, coconut milk, sugar

Preparation: A papaya is split in half lengthwise, seeded and peeled. Cooking bananas, close to ripe, are peeled grated a medium grain, then mixed with sugar and a desired amount of coconut milk, but not so much as to make it soupy. Next, the mixture is poured into the inside of each half of the split papayas, filling each until at even height with the edges of the papaya. Lastly, the pieces are placed in a pot, with the cut side facing up. Coconut milk, sweetened with sugar, is poured into the pot until at even height with the edges of papaya. Cooked for about 1 hour.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Babaiya Uumu(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Uumur Babaiya(Tobi)

Ingredients: Mature papayas, preferably green or green with dots of yellow on their skin

Preparation: Mature papayas are collected, and have their skin either peeled or left as is. An uumu is prepared, and the papayas are preferably placed as one flat layer upon the leaves. But when there are too many fruits to be placed, usually the firmer fruits are placed first on the leaves, and the ones closer to ripening are placed atop of them. Covered, the earthoven is left for 3-4 hours. When cooked, the fruits are split in half lengthwise, then lightly doused on its surface with sweetened coconut milk ⁱⁱ

Note: When the papayas are at a certain stage that their skin are still green but having many dots of yellow (a sign of ripening), and have been cooked in uumu, Sonsorol natives usually prefer to cut the tip of the fruit and drink juice that has accumulated within it before it undergoes further preparation.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Yanguhu ri Babaiya (Tobi)

Ingredients: Diluted coconut milk, mature papaya, almost ripe, grated coconut meat

Preparation: Papayas are split in half lengthwise, seeded, and each half is sliced lengthwise into two pieces or more. Placed in a pot, the slices are poured of coconut milk, which would lie just a few centimeters above the papaya. Next, the pot is heated to boil and observed. Once the milk goes halfway down the height of the papaya and when the fruits have become soft, then they are cooked. Ready to eat.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Mechar ri Babaiya (Tobi)

Ingredients: Grated coconut meat/ coconut milk, ripe papaya

Preparation: Papaya is split in half lengthwise, seeded, and the flesh is scraped out into a bowl using a spoon. Next, it is mixed with desirable amounts of coconut milk or grated coconut meat, then served as a drink or a snack.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Salad(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Green, mature papaya, mayonnaise, salt and ajinomoto, tuna meat, fresh or canned, diced onions

Preparation: Mature, green papayas are peeled of skin, split in half lengthwise, then each half cut into lengths of comfortable thickness and length so that they could be held firmly in the palm. Using a grater, the pieces are grated in an adequately-sized bowl, reduced to small slices using the biggest side of a grater. Afterwards, salt is mixed with the papaya and left for 10-15 minutes. Later, water is poured onto the bowl and the papayas are squeezed in the palm, then placed into a separate bowl. If the slices would as yet be too salty, then water may be added again and the slices squeezed a second time, or if a bit tasteless, then more salt may be added. When the desired taste is acquired, tuna meat is flaked mixed with them, along wit mayonnaise. All the ingredients may be integrated in desired ratios.ⁱⁱ

Note: This dish is usually made during parties.

v. Citrus Fruit(Hurukur; Huruhur; Hurukur )

Hurukur is a number of species of citrus fruit that could be found on all the presently inhabited Southwest islands. On the island of Sonsorol their juice are used as an additive in piropir wese when too much of the coconut milk ingredient is present to help rid a bit of the oily taste. Its leaves are also an essential ingredient in a special drink from that island and its juice is made into lemonade.

Name of Dish: Ur Hurukur(Sonsorol), N/A(Tobi)

Ingredients: Citrus juice, coconut toddy or water with sugar

Preparation: Each individual fruit is cut in half, perpendicular to the two ends of the fruit. one half is squeezed into 1 cup of coconut toddy or in a cup of water with a desired amount of sugar. The other half is peeled of skin and the fruit is chopped into small chunks and placed into cup, then served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Just a small amount of juice from one species of citrus fruit- the citrus sp. Variety- is needed for a drink. This fruit has a very thick skin and the inner fruit is small and very bitter. Not all the juice from one fruit is used, and it is just lightly squeezed. Its other half is chopped into pieces and placed into the cup, as with the other species.

vi. Banana(Fadol/ Wisi; Faso, Uich; Fadol)

On the islands, there are two kinds of banana, cooking and eating bananas. Though a fruit, it was cultivated on the islands with almost equal importance as root crops and certain fruits. It was not eaten by Tobian children in the far past, as it was said that it would cause them to steal. But even for them today, bananas are not really favored as food, and the plants are usually left alone, as there is a lot of taro.^xx

Bananas traditionally were not present in the islands, but they were introduced by the Germans during their administration, and also by the islanders themselves as they traveled to Palau and to other islands in the Pacific Rim, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines.^iv

The Southwest islanders have a special method for quickly ripening banana when they are still green. A small pit is made on sandy soil, about two feet in width and depth. The walls of the hole are laden first with young coconut fronds, then a layer of hiobu leaves. The fruit cluster is cut from its stem, then dipped only briefly in seawater, then placed horizontally on the bottom of the pit. Hiobu leaves are then brought to cover the banana, then a layer of young fronds from a coconut sprout. A thick layer of dirt is shoveled to cover the entire pit. It is left for about 3 days. When opened, the bananas will have become ripe.

Note: Canvas can be placed on top of the coconut fronds that cover the top of the banana. This is a sure way to prevent the dirt from reaching it.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Bilumu ri fadol(Sonsorol), Sirakhoraki(Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, coconut toddy or sugar, boiled coconut milk, water, cooking bananas

Preparation: Cooking bananas are peeled and rinsed in water. Then in a basin, they are grated to a medium grain, then mix a sufficient amount of water and all other ingredients except the boiled coconut milk; just enough so that the taste of the mixture is desirable and the consistency of the mixture not too thick or soupy. Using either fronds from a coconut sprout or about a foot of the tips of banana leaves (banana leaves should be heated over a fire to soften first), the mixture is cupped in small amounts in one's hands and placed onto either leaf used. To wrap, the longer edges of the leaf are folded up and over the mush, one of which lie under the other. Next the wrapped mixture is bound with thin string by first folding the two ends of the sausage-shaped wrapping. To begin tying, one end is wound around a few times with the thin rope, then bound tight. The rope, without being cut, is extended over the length of the mixture, and after about an inch is past, one holds the rope at that point, and with the other hand he/she loops the string around the mixture, then brings it under the bent portion of the rope where he/she was holding. The rope is then pulled tight so it could grasp onto the mixture. This is done about 3 times or until the rope reaches the other end. That end is then folded, bound tight with the string several times, then terminated. In a pot the wrappings are placed, with water at an even level with them. Pot is then taken to boil and the level of water is observed. Once the water level goes below one or two layers of the bilumu, wrappings, then they are cooked. The banana will attain a brownish color when cooked. When ready, they are eaten with the scalded coconut milk used for dip.^iv

Note: When in the midst of cooking, a sample wrapping can be slightly opened, then pierced to check whether the whole mixture is completely congealed and cooked. Furthermore, aside from the method of tying the bilumu as noted above, there are several other variations used.

This dish can also be cooked in an earthoven, but the wrapping method and its size are different. Usually the wrapped mixtures placed in uumu are bigger, and as for the wrapping, aside from just using banana leaf alone, it is placed in a moruya leaf, then again onto a coconut frond.ⁱⁱ

Note: When made in a great amount, instead of preparing an earthoven, a big cauldron, locally called in Sonsorol as pot eri periper, could be used to cook the dish. The banana mixtures are wrapped as above, then placed in the cauldron with a water level that is close to the brim. A piece of thin plywood (about 8 feet in length and 4 feet in width), preferably cut in half, is used to cover the cauldron so that it could contain the steam.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Fadol iheih(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooking banana, coconut milk, coconut toddy

Preparation: Banana is grated finely, then mixed in a bowl with desired amount of coconut milk, sugar and/or coconut toddy, but not so much as to make the mixture too watery. Next, fronds from a coconut sprout are placed flat on a board, bottom side up, and the mixture is scooped from the bowl and placed onto the leaf and given a tubular shape, similar in length and thickness to a medium-sized sausage (about 2 centimeters in diameter and 11 centimeters in length). Next, the longer edges of the fronds are folded up and over the mush, then bound tight, similar to bilumu ri fadol. In a pot, a small amount of water is placed only a few inches from the bottom and heated to boil. Once it does, the wrappings are placed slantwise or horizontally in the pot, then more water is poured until about an inch on top of wrappings. Cooked for about an hour.ⁱⁱ

Note: Fadol iheih can also be placed in an earthoven. In the past, it is here that instead of using young coconut fronds to contain the mixture, the mixture is placed young coconut shells, and the mixture would have slightly more water than usual, and that is done to prevent the mixture from turning too hard when cooked. Furthermore, islanders pick shells that are not very old and dense, which would still have a good amount of water in them to prevent it from burning too easily. ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Fadol Dudur(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooking banana

Preparation: A small open fire is built and left to burn until fire subsides considerably and the logs glow with only little smoke being emitted. The cooking bananas are placed straight onto the fire or on top of a grill until the skin has been charred black and the edible fruit is soft and could be pierced easily. Lastly, the charred skin is removed and the fruit is eaten as is.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Fadol Hapare(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Eating bananas

Preparation: Eating bananas are peeled, then placed whole on banana leaves and dried under the sun for four days to about a week, although the amount of time depends on the amount of sunlight over the days; the fruits must be taken in whenever rain falls. In the midst of drying, the fruits will shrink, attain a brownish color and become very sweet. Once dried, they are contained in jars or biscuit tins, and being stored as such, they can be left preserved for a month or two.ⁱⁱ

Note: In the past, to store the dried eating bananas, about 8 pieces would be aligned neatly, side by side, in a dried banana leaf. The edges of the leaf are then folded partway over opposite ends of the fruits, then a single pohuae leaf is laid flat and the fruits partly wrapped in the leaf is placed parallel to the leaf. The opposite ends of the pohuae leaf are then brought to fold over the fruits, then bound with string in a fashion similar to bilumu ri fadol. It is known in lore that this method of preparing banana is an adoption from a Yapese practice. Furthermore, bananas were placed on top of woven coconut fronds in the past to be dried under the sun, but in the present day, natives prefer to place the bananas on clean tin roofing, as they reflect a lot of heat.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Fadol Kuk(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: cooking bananas, water

Preparation: Cooking bananas, with skin intact, are placed into a pot of water, which is laden with short sections of banana leaves at the bottom. Cooked approximately 45 minutes to an hour.

Note: when the bananas are not yet ripe, more water is needed, so when the pot is poured with water, it would be only a few inches atop the level of banana. But when the bananas are just about ripe, the water would be on equal level with the bananas. As for the banana leaves, their midsections are thinned to they could be more flexible.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Fadol Farae(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: eating bananas, salad oil or coconut oil

Preparation: Bananas are left whole or cut in half crosswise. A pan of salad or coconut oil is boiled, then the pieces are placed in and fried until golden brown.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Kilemoi(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, sugar, cooking bananas

Preparation: Cooking bananas are peeled, then grated on one side using, giving it the shape of a tiny dugout canoe. The scraped portion of the bananas are mixed with an adequate amount of sugar and coconut milk, then placed back into the now canoe-like portions. The bananas are then placed in a pot, neatly arranged with grated side facing up. The pot is then filled with diluted coconut milk until about three inches above the bananas, then two or more short sections of leaves are laid on the surface of the milk, a portion of each section being pressed against the sides of the pot and bent, facing downwards into the liquid. Cooked for about 1 hour.

Note: kilemoi is not a traditional dish from the Southwest islands, but was learned from the natives of mainland Palau, who in turn from the Pohnpeians in The Federated States of Micronesiaⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Paor ri fadol(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Sugar (optional), grated coconut meat, cooking banana

Preparation: Cooking bananas are placed in a pot with skin still intact, then submerged in water at even level with the fruits. The pot is then brought to boil, cooking the bananas until they are soft and can be pierced easily with a fork. Once cooked, they are removed from the pot, peeled, then mashed to a fine mush on a pounding board. This step is continued, adding more bananas until one is satisfied with the size of the mush. Next, grated coconut meat and sugar are added in desired amounts, then the mixture is mashed once more until they are well integrated.

Lastly, the banana mixture is shaped into balls, each about as big as a softball. Placed on a tray, scalded coconut milk, sweetened with desired sugar, is poured on to them.^iv

Name of Dish: Tora Fadol Ma Pamuchen(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooking bananas, still green, but close to ripe, pumpkin, coconut toddy or molasses, coconut milk, sugar

Preparation: Cooking bananas are peeled, grated, then set aside in a basin. Pumpkin, slightly smaller in amount than the banana, is peeled, cut into chunks, then cooked in a pot of toddy and desired amount of sugar until soft. Once cooked, the pot of pumpkin is placed close to the basin of banana. One uses either his/her bare hands or a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin from the pot, mash into a mush with the hands, then mix it with the grated banana in the basin, in the process adding coconut toddy and sugar until the sweetness is desirable and the texture of the mixture is soupy but thick. Next, the mixture is wrapped in the manner of Bilumu ri Fadol. Afterwards, a pot is filled halfway with water, then heated. Once it boils, several of the wrappings are placed in horizontally and more water is added until about an inch above the wrappings or close to the brim of the pot. Cooked for about 1 hour. ⁱⁱ

Note: Aside from cooking in a pot, this dish can be cooked in an earthoven, but must be placed in a tray, without wrapping; cooked for 3-4 hours.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Fadol Ma Mohumohu(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooking banana, island arrowroot starch, coconut toddy, coconut milk, sugar

Preparation: Cooking banana is grated, then set aside in a basin. Usually one whole cluster of bananas is required for this dish, as it is usually done in large amount. Separately, mohumohu starch is mixed in a pot with water. The amount of water is greater than the amount of the starch, and when mixed, the mixture is thick, but more soupy in texture and less viscous. It is then poured into the basin filled with grated banana, then toddy and sugar are added too for flavoring. Coconut milk is added, but not too much as it could prevent the mixture from sticking together well. Lastly, the mixture is wrapped similar to bilumu ri fadol, then cooked in a pot similar to the above dish; may also be cooked similarly in uumu.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Fadol Ma Raes(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooking banana, washed or cooked rice, sugar, coconut toddy and milk

Preparation: Cooking bananas, about a whole cluster, are grated in a basin, then set aside. Rice, either washed or already cooked, are placed in a pot with a big amount of water, dispersed, then heated to boil. Occasionally the mixture is stirred while cooking to prevent the rice from charring at the bottom of pot. When the water starts to turn thick and soupy and the rice particles have become soft, a desired amount of sugar is stirred into the mixture. Next, this mixture is removed from the fire and poured into the basin filled with banana. More sugar, coconut toddy/molasses are added in desired ratios with the mixture .Wrappred and cooked similarly to bilumu ri fadol. May also be cooked in an earthoven, but must be put into trays. ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Uumu ri Fadol Ma Tora Nuttouya(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooking banana, soft coconut meat, water, sugar, coconut milk and toddy

Preparation: Cooking bananas are peeled, grated, then placed in a basin. Separately, soft coconut meat is pounded lightly in a pounding board until sufficiently fragmented and no big chunks are left. It is then poured onto the basin of banana, and the two ingredients are mixed along with coconut toddy, water, sugar, and a small amount of coconut milk since the meat already has some amount of it. The ratio of the mixture depends on the person preparing, but the amount of grated banana has to be sufficiently more than the amount of coconut meat and the texture of the all the ingredients mixed must be soupy and thick. Either wrapped similarly to bilumu ri fadol to be cooked for about an hour or poured onto a tray to be cooked in uumu for about 4 hours.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Fadol Mara Uumu(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, coconut toddy and/or sugar, scalded coconut milk, coconut molasses, cooking or eating bananas

Preparation: Bananas are peeled, rinsed in water, then are grated in a basin. An adequate amount of water is added, along with all other ingredients except the scalded coconut milk. Separately, a tray is smothered on its surface with a light coating of coconut milk, then is laden with banana leaves, which are also coated with coconut milk too. The banana mixture is poured onto the tray in a thin layer, then toppred with a thin layer of coconut milk. Next, another layer of banana mixture is put on top of the first layer. Faoraor sticks are then laid on top of the tray to prevent leaves from touching the mixture. Cooked in uumu for 3 hours.

Note: This method of preparing banana is made especially during special occasions, as in engagements and marriage, the building of a men's meeting house, canoe carving, and hautout.^iv

Name of dish: Maahga ri Fadol(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Coconut milk and coconut meat, coconut toddy/ sugar, water, green eating banana, firm, but close to ripe

Preparation: Bananas are peeled, then place whole in a bucket filled with water or salt water just several centimeters above the banana. Left overnight. The next day, the banana would have become soft. The water is thrown away and the banana is mashed in a bowl using one's bare hands to as small a grain as it can be in that manner. Afterwards, the mush is placed into a masiya grass skirt, then its edges folded over the mush and then pressed down on with the hands, squeezing out any remaining traces of water.

Next, the mush is placed back in the bucket and a layer of plastic is placed on top of the mush. Heavy coral rocks are then laid on top of the plastic, and the bucket is covered with a lid and left for about 4-5 days. As it is left there, the weight of the rocks will help force any accumulated juices in the banana, which will rise slowly to the surface of the plastic. This step is repeated several more times until there is no more water that is forced up towards the strip of plastic to the top of the banana. In this way the banana can be preserved for several years or more, always in the bucket, with the rocks always on top.

Note: In the past, on Sonsorol only a certain variety of eating banana was used to make maahga ri fadol, but this banana was harvested for this dish when it is still green and not ripe. Today this banana is not present on the island. At the time our interviews have begun, only one elder of Sonsorol, the Late Rita Bemar, was the only person who had at least an idea of how the dish was made in the past. When she passed away, no Southwest native knew of this dish's preparation, and thus we have only been able to provide the modern method of its preparation, hence the modern tools used.

There are certain kinds of plastic preferred for this dish. Plastic bags that are commonly used in Palau's airport for protecting packages from rain, which are thick and sturdy, are used.^iv

Name of Dish:N/A

Ingredients: Maahga ri fadol, coconut meat, coconut milk and toddy/sugar, water

Preparation: Maahga ri fadol is removed from the bucket and placed in a basin filled with water. Stirred, the water is integrated with the banana, dispersing it into tiny particles, then left to settle to the bottom of the basin. Once it does, this step is repeated two to four times if necessary to alleviated a sour taste and foul stench of the banana. The smell does not go away completely, but enough of it is rid of so that it can be bearable. Afterwards, the basin is carefully emptied of water and the banana is transferred into a porous sack, its opening bound close, then the mush is squeezed, pushed down on to remove unwanted juices in the bananas. Next, it is removed from the sack and placed in a basin, added with water and a little amount of sugar or coconut toddy. These ingredients are then stirred and blended well to be equally dispersed. Lastly, this mixture is poured into a prepared tray that is laden with softened banana leaves(heated a short while over fire), then cooked in an uumu for 4 hours.^iv

vii. Indian Mulberry (Rrorr; Nnerr; Rrorr)

This fruit becomes very soft when ripe, and has a very foul smell. Aside from being a very effective medicine, it used to be eaten in the past, but because of its stench, most natives today despise eating it.ⁱⁱ In the past, Tobian children would pick the fruits of the plant that are still young and hard. Digging a shallow hole in the ground, a big giant taro leaf is laid in it. The fruits would be placed inside, and another taro leaf is used to cover them. Topped with sand, the pit is left for 3 days, when afterwards they would be found to be ripe and can be eaten. Tobian women too depended on these fruits when they were tending their taro patches. When feeling parched, they would look for these fruits and eat about two, and could last an extra couple of hours before feeling thirsty again.^xx

For this fruit, along with the two varieties of breadfruit, when eaten by children, the top parts of the fruits were not eaten and were given to their parents. This aspect of culture was placed as a reflection of olden times when there was little food in the islands. This custom was created to teach the children to mind their parents in matters of food, for they might be hungry.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Piropiro eri rrorr(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Ripe fruit of Indian Mulberry, coconut milk (optional), toddy, sweet coconut juice and sugar

Preparation: A pot is filled with the liquid ingredients in desired ratios. The fruits are then squeezed with the hands directly onto the pot, then the pot stirred to disperse well. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

viii. Wax apple(Halifato, Fariyap; Fariyap; Morummel)

On the islands there are four varieties of this tree, and locally they are generalized with the names halifato or fariyap. Sonsorol has only two, one called and the other called bwirih. The former is bigger than the latter, and has a pinkish hue when ripe. Bwirih, however, becomes light green when ripe. Pulo Anna has these two species, but have yet another called marummas, characterized by having a deep red color all over the fruit. Tobi has all three, but have another variety which they call fariyep hawahawa. Two other species are present, one called buchohor and yet another called fariyep fasuchorr. ^iv

In the past, whenever the Wax apple tree is in fruition, nobody on the island of Sonsorol could take any driftwood or other drift matter that float to the beach into his/her house. Instead, they may leave under trees at the fringe of the beach and wait for about 1 month before they could move them into their separate homes. If they violate this, then it is said that the fruits of the apple would rot from within and become undesirable. On the island, there is a method used to preserve this fruit. Called sukusuk in Sonsorol, hadaauru^viii in Pulo Anna and Chauwere^xxiv in Tobi, it is prepared by having the fruits seeded and placed into a small basket called sukuri sukusuk (about a foot in length and width), made specifically for this preservation method. About six to eight of these baskets are filled, closed tight at the opening, then placed in a shallow earthoven. They are then covered, first, with banana leaves, leaves of Elephant's Ear Taro, then either a modern canvas sheet or a woven mat. The earth oven is then left overnight until the next day, where the pit will be uncovered, the baskets removed and the fire restarted. Everything is placed back in the same order, then left for two days until the next reheating. For every instance the pit's fire is started again, an extra day is added to the number of days there was between the last rekindling and the present, hence the increasing number of days (in incremental gains of one) between each rekindling. This is done until the length between rekindlings has gone to two weeks, or until the fruits in the baskets are dry. It may be done for a maximum of 6 months, maintaining the two-week gap between each rekindling.ⁱⁱ

Note: When Southwest islanders leave on voyages to other islands, sukusuk, still in the basket, is placed in a fresh and slightly bigger basket that is laden internally with young fronds from a coconut sprout. The same kind of fronds are also placed over the top of the basket, serving to prevent flowing air from entering the basket. Bound tight at the opening, it is taken on the voyage, and are eaten with coconut meat. Furthermore, the basket used in this preservation method, which is woven out of coconut fronds, has the attached coconut midrib split in half only several inches on one end, and the fruits are stuffed in it, then sealed tight with string.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropir Sukusuk(Sonsorol), Piropir Hadaauru(Pulo Anna),

Ingredients: Wax apple from sukusukcoconut milk and toddy, water, coconut toddy

Preparation: halifato that has been preserved in sukusuk are placed in a pounding board, then fragmented slightly with a pounder. Next, they are placed in a wooden bowl and mixed with the rest of the ingredients, stirred well, then served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Bulhou (Sonsorol), Bulou( Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Wax apple, coconut milk and toddy, water, grated coconut meat

Preparation: The fruits are first cut open, seeded, placed in baskets, then laid in an earthoven to cook for three to four hours. After being cooked, the baskets are removed, then a small hole, about 2 ½ feet deep and 2 feet wide, is dug near the fringe of the beach or beside a canoe house. Woven, dried coconut fronds called hirie nnip, which are about two feet and a half in length, are placed at flat against the walls of the pit from top to bottom, arranged so that when one weaving is laid, one side of the next weaving is placed about halfway across the first. As much weavings are placed on the bottom accordingly so that a full circle is made. Next, a layer of dried banana leaves are placed flat atop the woven fronds, upright and their topsides facing the walls of the pit. The end of the banana leaf that points to the ground is bent several inches up from its end, then the bend is placed at the bottom of the walls. The leaves should be long enough so that they can stick about a foot out of the ground, pressed to the walls and ordered so that when one leaf is placed in, the next leaf's side would lie above one side of the last leaf. Breadfruit leaves, preferably from the seeded breadfruit, are removed of the attached stem, then placed on to the pit from top to bottom, bottom side pointing down and the leaves in the same ordering as the banana leaves, but in two to three layers to span the length of the walls. The leaves on the second layer should be sunk a few inches behind the first layer, and so is the third layer to the second; this is to prevent the layer of leaves from collapsing. The layers are piled up this way until they match in height with the surface of the ground and provide equal thickness of covering for the pit. Afterwards, the cooked fruits can then be placed into the pit, filling it until about a few inches above ground. About two layers of breadfruit leaves are placed directly atop the fruits, and near the fringes of the pit a layer of breadfruit leaves are fitted between the edge of the fruit mass and the ground, a portion of the leaves sunk between the fringe and the fruits, and the major length of the leaves bent at an angle, covering the edges of the two layers of breadfruit leaves. The ends of the banana leaves that stick about a foot above ground are overlaid on top of the breadfruit leaves, folded systematically, one's side over the next until completion when overlaying of leaves returns to the first. A layer of unwoven coconut fronds are placed atop the banana leaves, then a layer of the woven hirie nnip is used to cover the fronds, but only that they are shorter than that which is laid in the pit. Lastly, a layer of heavy coral rock is placed atop the weavings to serve as a weight that helps in squeezing out the juice of the fruits. The pit is left alone, and after every two weeks, the leaves are changed, then replaced with new leaves in the same order. The fruits can be preserved for about 1 year this way. ⁱⁱ

Note: For the banana leaves, if there are not enough available, the leaves of watil can take their place, but must be changed every two weeks, for they go bad faster than banana leaves, so they must be replaced at a faster rate. Furthermore, as time passes, the rocks, due to their weight on the fruits, will begin depress into the pit. This indicates to a person that the pit must be refilled, and when one does, the fruits must go through the same cooking process, then placed at the bottom of the pit, similar in all ways to the refilling of breadfruit into the preserved maahgaⁱⁱ.

Name of Dish: Tohoha eri Fariyap(Tobi)

Ingredients: grated coconut meat, Wax apple

Preparation: The fruits are cut in half, seeded, washed clean, then placed in a pot of water to cook. Once the fruits begin to sink to the bottom of pot, they are cooked. Afterwards, the fruits are placed on a pounding board, mixed with grated coconut meat, then pounded until soft. Served as is.^vi

Preservation: Presently, on all the inhabited islands, there is a similar way to preserve Wax apple by means of cooking in water. A pot is filled with water, and when the fruits are cooked, they will soak in water and sink to the bottom of pot. Leave in the pot with the cooking water. Every two days the water must be reheated, and every three days the water must be replaced with a new batch. However, when throwing away water, only a small amount of it is left behind. This gives it a good taste.^vi

Note: Wax apple can be used as medicine for diarrhea. It is cut, seeded, cleaned, then cooked until dense and submerge to the bottom of the pot. Afterwards, the water is thrown out, then fragmented slightly on a pounding board, then blended with water and sugar, then given to the one inflicted.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Fiyefiya eri Fariyap(Tobi)

Ingredients: Wax apple, coconut milk and toddy, sugar (optional), coconut molasses

Preparation: Wax apple is cooked as in tohoha eri fariyap. Once cooked, they are placed in a pounding board, then fragmented slightly with a pounder. Afterwards, in a bowl they are mixed with coconut milk, toddy and coconut molasses. Served as a drink.^vi

ix. Wild fig (Wese;Weche; Wese)

Wild figs grow healthily in the islands, and are enjoyed as a dish very much amongst the islanders. On the island of Sonsorol, there is a distinction between two groups of wese varieties. One is named wese mmas (called weche ri Rruk in Tobi), and one is called wese dafa. For the latter, there are two types, one of a whitish color and one slightly pinkish. The wese dafa variety is collected when still young and hard. It is then cooked in uumu or boiled in water until soft, and can be prepared similarly to wese mmas. The wese mmas is characterized by turning red when ripe; this variety can be eaten without further preparation by rubbing the fruit surface against a tree trunk or the smooth, outside surface of a coconut husk to soften its prickly surface, then eaten as is.¹

Name of dish: Piropiro ri wese(Sonsorol), Wesea Puho(Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: wild fig fruits, coconut milk, coconut toddy, coconut toddy, water

Preparation: The fruits of are collected and placed into a basket, then into an eathoven and left for 3-4 hours or overnight. Afterwards, the fruits are removed and placed in a pounding board, mixed with grated coconut meat, then pounded into a soft mush. Lastly, it is mixed with water, coconut milk and toddy, then is drunk.ⁱⁱ

Note: The fruits can also be cooked in a pot of water at even height to fruits or slightly above. Once the pot is set on the fire, its heat should never wither and become weak, as it is said that if the heat wavers before it is cooked, it could never eventually be cooked well and will remain hard whatever the amount of effort is put into it. Also, when the ingredients are made and there ended up to be too much coconut milk in it, a small amount of the juice of kuruhur are squeezed onto the mixture to alleviate the fatty taste.^iv

Name of dish: Piropiro sari/ diyobu eri wese(Sonsorol), Siobr ri Weche(Tobi)

Ingredients: Young and tender wese leaves (called diyobu), coconut toddy, coconut milk, water

Preparation: The young, tender leaves of the wese, after being placed in an earth oven for about 3 hours, are mashed lightly on a pounding board. Next, they are mixed in a bowl with a desired amount of coconut milk, toddy, and water. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

On Tobi, this dish is made, but after being mashed and mixed in a bowl with coconut toddy (no coconut milk and water are not added), they are placed in an earthoven again for 3 more hours.^xxii

Name of Dish: Diyobu(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Young wese leaves, coconut toddy

Preparation: The leaves are cooked in a cooked in a pot of water, where the level of water is only an inch below level of leaves. Cooked until boil, or when leaves change color to brown. When cooked they would have congealed a little. It is then parceled with a knife into serving sizes, placed in a bowl with toddy poured on top of them directly afterwards. May be eaten, if preferred, with grated coconut meat.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Piropir Fakattou(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: coconut milk, young wese leaves, coconut toddy, water

Preparation: similar to piropir sari, except less water, toddy and coconut milk are added. In this way it becomes more like a thick soup which can be eaten with a spoon.ⁱⁱ

Note: In the past, the leaves of wese are cooked only by means of an earthoven. After being collected, they are either placed in baskets, and the baskets bound tight at the opening, or they are placed in young coconut shells with a small amount of water. As for the earthoven itself, a shallow pit is dug in the ground, and rocks are burned atop logs until red-hot. Two layers of banana leaves are placed atop of rocks, then a layer of the leaves of umau are placed next atop the banana leaves. Afterwards, coconut shells or baskets with the leaves of wese are then placed in the uwm. The leaves of moruya are then laid on top of the contained leaves, then the leaves of umau again. The pit is then covered with canvas, then later a layer of sand. Leave for 2-3 hours.

Furthermore, there is another variation for preparing wese leaves in an earthoven. The leaves are amassed, then wrapped in small bundles with string. Coral rocks are then placed on top of logs, then the fire is started, then left until rocks are red hot. Afterwards, a thick layer of a fern species called sisi is laid over the hot rocks to help control the immense heat and give a pleasant scent. The tied bundles are then placed into the pit, neatly arranged, then the oven covered and left for about one hour.ⁱⁱ

x. Tallow Nut(Hannoh; Hannoh; Hannoh)

This plant's fruits are not eaten in any other way in the islands except that they are collected, then a small and shallow hole is dug near the upper fringe of the beach. The leaves of hiobu are laid in one layer to completely cover the sand, then a small coconut frond is woven and placed over the first layer. The fruits are then laid inside, then more of the leaves of hiobu are placed on top of the fruits, then another woven coconut frond. The hole is then covered with sand and left for 2-3 days. Afterwards, the outer skin of the fruits are eaten except their seeds.ⁱⁱ

xi. Coconut(Ruttouya; Rruh; Uub)

Name of Dish: Faala Kuk(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Kuku ri Fakar(Tobi)

Ingredients: coconut toddy, water, coconut apple

Preparation: left whole or sliced into small pieces, the apples are placed in a pot with a mixture of water, coconut toddy, and a small amount of coconut milk. Heated to boil for about an hour, or until the liquid attains a brownish color. When cooking, the coconut apple pieces will shrink in size and sink to the bottom. Thus, once they do, more pieces can be placed in to cook.

Note: Coconuts have coconut apples once they begin to sprout and its meat turns hard. Usually the young apples, which are denser, smaller in size and less porous than bigger embryos, are preferred as they are sweeter. When small they are left whole, but if mature they are sliced before cooking.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropiro ri Faal(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Coconut apples, water, coconut milk, sugar, coconut toddy

Preparation: The coconut apples are either pounded in a wooden bowl until very soft or pushed once through a meat grinder. Afterwards, they are mixed with the other ingredients, then served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Puhor Uubu(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Young coconuts with soft coconut meat, coconut toddy

Preparation: Young coconuts, in desired amounts, are cut at the tip and their juices are poured into a container then are split in half and the soft meat is scraped off into a bowl. Next, the internal upper half of a very young coconut, with the shell still soft and so it the inner husk, are scraped together in a bowl. Mixed with the soft coconut meat, they are pounded lightly until soft. Lastly, these ingredients are placed in a pot of coconut juice, then boiled for about 30 minutes or until juice turns light brown. Served hot.^iv

Preservation: Method of hafauure can be applied for two days to prevent it from spoiling, but is usually eaten within the day that it is made.

Note: This dish is usually preferred for people for have diarrhea. ^iv

Name of dish: Puho Nuttouya (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Juice and meat from young coconuts, coconut toddy

Preparation: The top of a young coconut is cut and the juice is poured into a container. Next, they are cut coconut in half and scraped of soft coconut meat, which is then pounded lightly in a wooden bowl. Afterwards, the meat is added to the juice in a pot and boiled only a short while; Served hot.^iv

Preservation: The soup can be reheated twice a day for about five days to prevent from spoiling, but even then, island natives prefer that the soup be consumed within a day. For example, if this dish is made in the morning, before dinner comes it is heated again to eat, but it is not saved until the next day, as the taste would change and they would prefer a new dish.^iv

Note: This dish is usually given to babies, but the coconut meat must be pounded until extra soft.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Boliboli (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: flour, sugar, soft coconut meat (optional), diluted coconut milk, pure coconut milk, coconut juice, water, coconut toddy

Preparation: About five pounds of flour are placed in a bowl and mixed with water, sugar and coconut toddy. Soft coconut meat, scraped with a spoon, is added to this mixture at this stage if they are available. This mixture is blended, squeezed and refined the ingredients are equally dispersed and one arrives at a soft, doughy mass and the liquid ingredients are not distinguishable from the dough. Separately, two batches of coconut milk are made, the first from pure coconut milk with no water added. For the second, the same grated coconut used to make the first batch is dipped into a bowl of water and squeezed to make diluted coconut milk.

One the next step, the diluted coconut milk, sweetened with sugar and toddy, is poured into a pot until about half full and is brought to boil. Once it starts boiling, a teaspoon is used to scoop out small chunks of the dough, which are dumped one by one into the milk. They will not float at first, but as the heat rises, so will they. Also, as one does so, the pieces must be continuously dumped at different points in the pot so that there will be less chance for the pieces to stick together. The whole mixture is occasionally stirred at this stage to prevent the dough from charring at the bottom, but as the liquid in the pot starts to thicken with starch, it must be stirred almost constantly. Too, the bottom of the pot must be scraped occasionally using the tip of a spatula to prevent the starch from charring.

Stirring is continued until all the chunks have risen to the surface and the soup has turned thick and soupy. Once the pieces appear to become transparent and cooked throughout, the first batch of coconut milk is poured in and the dish is stirred for several minutes, then removed from heat.

Note: If the soup becomes too thick, more water and sugar could be added as a control measure to keep it from turning hard when it has been cooked and its heat has dissipated. Keep stirring until the chunks appear to become transparent and cooked throughout. Then add pure coconut milk into the pot and stir for several minutes, then turn off heat. Furthermore, there is an alternative preferred by a few Sonsorolese islanders when cooking the dish. When in the process of placing the chunks to cook in the pot and a good amount of them have risen to the surface, indicating that they are cooked, scoop out and place into a separate bowl. This is done continuously until all the cooked chunks have been removed. Once done, they are all placed back into the pot, then pure coconut milk poured into it to cook. Stirred for several minutes during boil, then the heat is abatted..

Moreover, there is another method that can be used to make the small chunks instead of using a spoon. A big chunk is taken from the doughy mixture and placed into one palm, then squeezed to fit comfortably in one's grip. One end of the chunk is made to stick out slightly between the thumb and the first digit finger, then the two are made to press over the chunk to cut it. One's hand must be placed directly over the pot when doing this to let the pieces drop into the soup. The resulting loose piece will be slightly bigger than the chunks made with the spoon.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Bureret eri Wanu (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Coconut molasses, grated coconut meat

Preparation: In a pot, coconut toddy is cooked until it turns syrupy and attains a dark-brown color. Grated coconut meat is squeezed of a sufficient amount of milk, leaving behind only little in the meat, then added to the molasses and stirred constantly until mixture becomes hard, compact and more viscous.

Note: There is a careful observance of the amount of molasses and grated coconut meat in the pot. There should be enough of each ingredient, so that when they are blended together, neither is too few or too much that either ingredient cannot permeate the other completely. Furthermore, preparation and preparation of this dish in the past is very similar to that of Bureret eri Hatade ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Housor(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Soft coconut meat, sweet coconut juice

Preparation: Soft coconut meat is scraped from a coconut with a spoon. Mixed with sweet coconut juice, then served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tau Mal(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Tau Mad(Tobi)

Ingredients: Soft coconut meat, sugar, coconut molasses, toddy, water

Preparation: Soft or hard coconut meat is scraped or grated from a coconut, then mixed in a bowl with other ingredients in desired ratios. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Note: Very little of the sweet liquid ingredients is used when compared to amount of coconut meat, as they are very sweet. Water is used to control taste and help give good consistency to the liquid so it can be easily consumed.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropiro Rub (Sonsorol), Housor (Pulo Anna) Fiyefiya ri Peeri(Tobi)

Ingredients: Soft coconut meat, sweet coconut juice

Preparation: Young coconuts, having soft coconut meat, are cut at the tip and the juice is poured into a bowl. The coconuts are then halved and the meat is scooped with a spoon and placed into the bowl of juice. Served as a drink.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Metarie (Tobi)

Ingredients: Young coconuts, coconut toddy

Preparation: coconuts are cut at the tip, their juices are poured onto a wooden bowl, then are halved. The top halves of the coconuts, while still consisting of a soft, developing husk and shell, are scraped of the soft flesh in a bowl until no more could be removed. Next, they are mixed with grated meat from about 3 coconuts, coconut toddy is added, but only so much that the juice is not very visible on the surface of the mixture, but when one presses his hand on the surface only a centimeter downwards, the juice could be felt.^xx

Name of Dish: Tora Nuttouya Ma Moruya eri Hotiwo(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Soft coconut meat, yautia, coconut milk and toddy, sugar

Preparation: The corms of the taro are peeled, grated, then placed in a basin. Soft coconut meat, which is slightly smaller in amount compared to the taro, is mixed with it, along with sugar, coconut toddy, and a small amount of coconut milk. Placed in a pot, the mixture is cooked for about 1 hour. May also be poured into a tray and left in an uumu for 3-4 hours.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Nuttouya Ma Raes (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Washed rice, coconut toddy and/or sugar, coconut juice, soft coconut meat

Preparation: In a bowl, washed rice is mixed with soft coconut meat that is scraped with a spoon from a coconut. A mixture of sweet coconut juice, toddy and/or sugar are poured into the bowl and the mixture is blended to spread individual ingredients equally. The texture of the mixture should be comparable to thick soup. A metallic tray is laden at the bottom and sides with banana leaves. The mixture is then poured onto the tray to about one-half to three-fourth of the tray height, then placed on an earthoven for 3-4 hours.ⁱⁱ

Note: With the main ingredients, the coconut meat should be slightly fewer in amount than the washed rice, as the latter holds the mixture together. Coconut milk is not applied to this dish because the coconut meat already has a sufficient amount of oil.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Nuttouya Ma Mohumohu(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Soft coconut meat, arrowroot starch, coconut juice, toddy and/or sugar

Preparation: In a bowl, soft coconut meat is mixed with the rest of the ingredients. The amount of starch is slightly bigger in amount than the coconut meat and the mixture should have a soupy, semisolid texture. Placed in a tray in a similar manner to Tora Nuttouya Ma Raes, then onto an earthoven to cook for 3-4 hours.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Chosoru

Ingredients: Coconuts with soft coconut meat

Preparation: Young coconuts, after they have been drunk, are split in half, and with the husks still attached, are placed face-down and directly on top of any kind of food that is cooked in an earthoven and left overnight. When done, the coconuts are removed, and would be found to have turned slightly red and crispy. This is a favorite snack for old men and women of Tobi in the past.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Haito(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Fasaha Nu(Tobi)

Preparation: The Coconut heart^xvii is eaten in the Southwest islands by eating as is.

Note: To be able to reach the coconut heart, all the fronds, inflorescence and coconuts have to be cut off. Once removed, the pithy, white flesh at the top of the trunk is the heart. The coconut heart is never eaten at one's wish. It is only taken when necessity has called for a coconut to be logged: Too tall, stands close to a house, needed for lumber, or its leaves needed.ⁱⁱ Furthermore in the past, when a coconut tree trunk is still short (about 3 feet in height), its whole trunk would still be soft, and Tobian islanders would very occasionally eat them, for they preferred the plant to provide more useful resources than to be killed for food.^xxiv

xii. Tropical Almond(Hatade; Haisas; Hatade)

Tropical almond tree, given several local names, is not an abundant tree in the Southwest islands, and just as so was not eaten regularly. Both the thin skin and the nut could be eaten. In Tobi, old women would collect the fruits when their skin are still green, then leave them for a number of days when the skin would attain a few yellow spots. Afterwards the skin would be scraped in a wooden bowl, then mixed a slightly bigger amount of grated coconut meat and toddy. This is usually a snack for old women who work on taro patches.^xx

Name of dish: Bureret eri Hatade(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Tropical almond nuts, sugar/coconut molasses

Preparation: The fruit of this tree is collected, then with a heavy stick or rock, the fruit is placed parallel on one of its flat edges and held at one end. The heavy object is then used to pound it until the fruit cracks open and the small nut within can be retrieved. Collect and set aside. Sugar is heated in a pot until it melts. The nuts are placed in and stirred in pot until both ingredients are well mixed. Next, using dried banana leaves, the mixture is scooped and shaped into round balls the size of baseballs. The banana leaves are then used to wrap the nuts, folding one side of the banana leaf at one side of the ball onto the other side. It is bound with string, then contained in a basket where it could be eaten at will. It will last for about 4 months.ⁱⁱ

Preservation: The wrapped ball can have its life prolonged by placing in a basket, then hung over a cooking place, where the heat and smoke from home cooking will heat and keep them edible for about a year.

Note: The fruit of the tropical almond sometimes floats in from other lands on to Sonsorol. When found from the ocean, they are usually collected, then left for a month without cracking open. This practice is based on a superstition that when they are cracked open before a month passes by, the edible fruits of the trees on the island will rot from within and be inedible. In contrast, Tobians leave the fruits on the beach for 3 days before harvesting. Furthermore, in the past there was a more time-consuming way of preparing this dish. Toddy was first cooked, using only hard coconut shells (those which are still light-brown in color, but not flexible). Filled to about half, the shell was placed over a weak open fire, using twigs, coconut fibers and light wood to light it. The shell was itself mounted on three small coral rocks, elevated so that it was not too close to the fire. It was slowly heated for hours until it turned into molasses, and when it does, the almond nuts are poured into the shell and mixed vigorously with the syrup; enough almonds are poured into it so that the mixture would not be so out of proportion so that it is too liquid or too hard. Still hot, it is poured onto the banana leaves to be contained. Due to the difficulty involed in making it, it was not commonly done in the past.ⁱⁱ

In the past, Tobian islanders made this dish and took it along when they made long voyages to other islands^xiv

Cycad (Faratoul ;Ruhwearihachechih; Faratoul)

Cydads are very rare in the Southwest islands and found in only three islands(one in Tobi, two in Sonsorol, three in Pulo Anna and 7 in Merir). It has seeds that grow in a cluster similar to pandanus fruit, with hard outer shells and within each is a nut that can be grated and made into a dish. In the past the islanders wait for the fruits to fall to the ground before they harvest them^viii, but they are also collect from the beach as they float from other lands. Few islanders today have ever seen it in fruition.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Faratoun (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Seeds of faratoun, coconut toddy or molasses

Preparation: The seeds are cracked and the inner nuts removed, which are then grated completely upon a coral rock in a wooden bowl. Afterwards, the grater is removed, and water is added to the nuts, completely submerging them. The bowl is left for a time to allow the nut grains to settle and a bitter juice to escape them. Afterwards, the water is scooped out carefully, replaced with a new batch and the nuts are dispersed and left to settle again. This process is repeated 3-4 more times or until the taste of bitterness is gone. Next, all the water is sieved out and the nuts are moved into a small cooking pot. Separately, water is mixed with either coconut toddy or molasses, then poured onto the grated nuts. The amount of the mixture is estimated so that it should be enough to be about half an inch on top of the surface of the nuts when mixed with them. The pot is then heated to boil, and all the while the mixture is stirred occasionally when heat builds up to prevent the bottom of pot from charring. Once the nuts have absorbed the liquid and the surface of the mixture is dry, then it is cooked.^viii

B. Root Crops and Starch Foods

i.True taro(Wot)

In the Southwest Islands, this species of taro is only grown in Tobi alone. Tobians prized the true taro for its taste and importance, and thus they were harvested with great care and ingenuity. The islanders having no real form of currency, this crop, along with coconut, was used as a form of exchange for all dealings on the island.^vi

Even with mainland Palauans, Tobian taro is prized for its exquisite softness when cooked, a unique characteristic of taro from the island. They are stunted compared with other varieties, the tuber being only about the length of a person's hand or shorter; this is the case even for the giant taro. As of today this species is extinct at the island, as most islanders have ceased its cultivation and converted to rice and other introduced food products. The island's taro patch, once very well-kept and immense in size (about ½ of the land area), has been invaded by shrubs and other hardier plants.^vi

There are seven known varieties of true taro that traditionally were mass-cultivated on Tobi. Today only few are harvested. Here are their names and descriptions:

Ukuk- Plant with a tuber that has a purple hue.

Tauahiah- Has a tuber that is said to have a purple-yellowish hue.

Wotenenier- Has a tuber with a plain, whitish color. Very abundant in Palau proper.

Pamahu- With a whitish hue like wotenenier, except it has a fragrant smell that has been

compared to jasmine rice.

Pamahu Rarehataf- Plant with a tuber that has a fragrant scent and a red hue.

Woto Hangahang- Plant with a tuber that is large and dark-red in color.

Rauiarus- Due to time constraints, we were unable to record its characteristics.

Name of dish: Woto Kuk (Tobi)

Ingredients: Taro, coconut toddy

Preparation: Taro, when removed from the swamp, is scraped clean of roots and its skin is peeled. In a pot, they are placed in until they are near the brim of the pot, and coconut toddy is poured until about an inch below the topmost level of taro. Next, a single medium-sized leaf of buroh is placed over the tubers, its edges bent downwards near the brim of the pot to help keep the steam from escaping too quickly. Pot is brought to boil to cook the taro for about 2-3 hours, or until roots are soft and could be easily pierced all the way through.^vi

Note: the level of toddy in the pot must be observed. When it subsides to about halfway to two-thirds of the height of the tubers, it must be refilled to its original level.^vi

Name of dish: Woto Sus (Tobi)

Ingredients: True taro, grated coconut

Preparation: Taro is cooked in plain water, then mashed to a soft mush on a pounding board, but coarsely at first. Once all the taro has been mashed lightly into a loose mush, it is turned over on the board and a small amount of grated coconut meat is sprinkled onto its surface, then the mixture pounded once more, but very diligently and more rapidly until taro is soft-textured and well-integrated with the meat. Lastly, the mush is shaped into a big ball the size of a coconut or a grapefruit, then wrapped in giant taro leaves to contain. Eaten at the same day it is made (wrapping not eaten).^vi

Note: If the balls would be left until the next day, they would be found to be slightly sour. It is then that Tobian natives put the wrappings in an earthoven to cook. Afterwards, they are left there, and when one wants to eat, a ball is removed and the rest is left. If one wants to keep them longer, the method of habwetchi is applied until all taro has been consumed. This is called woto pachapach.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Hammageri(Tobi)

Ingredients: True taro, preferably from the woto hangahang and Tauahiah varieties

Preparation: Taro is peeled of skin, then placed into baskets called chuk uri tafaang, which are each laden with about 2 giant taro leaves that point upwards and against the basket's opposite ends. Next, the peeled taro are placed in the baskets, then bound at the opening. Next, a layer of true taro leaves and stalk, about 3 inches thick, is laid atop the tubers, then covered with two pairs of giant taro leaves, each pair conjoined similarly to the taro leaves at the bottom of the basket. About 20 or more of these baskets are placed onto the prepared oven in one flat layer (no additional layers as the taro might not be cooked well), then covered all over with another thick layer of true taro leaves, then giant taro leaves until no smoke could come out. In the earthoven they are left to cook overnight. Next day, the baskets are removed and the tubers would be found to be light-brown in color (slightly charred). A manageable number of tubers are taken and coarsely pounded on a board while still hot. When mashed completely, the mush is turned over, then mashed again, but the pounder is not lifted far from the board before being brought to down to make contact with the board; this is to make sure no unpounded pieces are left. Once soft, the mush is shaped into a medium- sized, round ball, then placed into a dry bowl, called Tapieri Hammageri , which is made specifically for this dish. All the taro that was baked in the earthoven are pounded this way and placed into these bowls, each filled until the taro rises in a heap that is almost a foot or more in height. The balls of mush, when placed on the bowl, are left to maintain their round shape.^xx

Later, dried leaves of giant taro, which have been used in the taro's cooking in the earthoven, are left whole or are torn into smaller pieces and laid on top of the heap of pounded taro in a thin layer to prevent flies, insects, and air from reaching the taro. The ends of the leaves near the brim of the wooden bowl are pushed downwards between the wood and the taro to prevent any insects from crawling in. It is left for 3 days, and when uncovered, the tough, dry outer layer of taro is peeled off and set aside to make the dish called biefouh.^xx The softer taro that is beneath that layer is removed, shaped into big balls, each wrapped with a single giant taro leaf. Bound with a string made from the fronds of a coconut sprout, the balls are placed in an earthoven to be reheated for half a day. In the oven they are directly exposed to the rocks, since the oven is made to have a weak fire. This dish must be reheated everyday until the taro has been consumed.^xxiv

Note: A wooden lid could be placed onto the bowl, but it could never replace the giant taro leaves. The lid is optional, but can be used along with the giant taro leaves. Furthermore, for this particular method of cooking taro, Tobians employ only one and the biggest form of underground oven, called Uumur Harau. Its size is immense, being ovular in shape, 10-20 feet in length and 3 feet in depth. The bottom of the pit is flat and its walls are nearly vertical. For firewood, thick, dense wood from fariyap and safang are preferred, as they give off intense heat. First, a layer of dried coconut husks are placed on the pit's bottom, then thick logs are placed horizontally against the husks. For every layer of firewood, the dried husks, along with dried coconut shells, are fitted snugly into all the gaps between the logs, which become thinner and smaller in each preceding layer. Simultaneously, as the logs are arranged, four spots, all equidistant from each other and about 1 foot in width, are kept clear of the logs, from the rim of the pit to its center (slanting downwards), which is kept clear too. However, the first logs placed across the clearings are close-quartered, both ends lying on each on the separated fariyap logs, with no gaps between them (except for a small opening near the rim of the pit where a torch could be allowed through) for the logs on top to fall through too easily. Even for these logs, they are arranged around the center, keeping it clear. These serve as open passageways through which the logs are lighted. In the end, the logs must fall short of the pit's edges by about half a foot.^xxiv

On the next phase, a big, conical heap of coral rocks are placed atop the logs. The first rocks are the biggest, then as piling is continued, the rocks become gradually smaller in size, but being at least fist-sized. Once done, four men would carry long torches called turru, light them at the tips, and insert them through a small opening at the beginning of each of the passageways. The torches are pushed through until they touch the bottom of the pit's center, setting fire to the coconut shells and husks. As the fire rises, it eventually begins to burn the rest of the logs. The pit is observed, the men paying close attention to the rocks as they fall into the pit, spreading it where it is needed and keeping it from tumbling outside. The amounts of rocks placed on top the logs are calculated, so that when all the logs are burned, the rocks would be at an even level with the ground.^xx

Usually the preparation of this pit starts at about six o'clock in the morning. When it comes late afternoon, the men then proceed to place the food on to the rocks. Afterwards, one or two layers of matting called erer are placed over the rocks to distance the food from the intense fire. The food is placed, then thin layers of coverage are laid above the food, first of giant taro leaves, then a single layer of erer, then weavings called bach. Lastly, Sand is placed over the weavings, and the uumu is left to cook the food overnight.^xiv

Name of dish: Biefouh(Tobi)

Ingredients: True taro

Preparation:

1. Woto Pachapach, after being left in an underground oven for about 5 days, turns slightly hard. The wrapping is removed and the taro is fragmented with the hands into morsel-sized pieces. Next, the taro is placed into young coconut shells, then doused with coconut milk. The shells are then placed in an underground oven for four hours, or preferably overnight.^vi

2. This method is made using Hammageri. After pounded taro has been left in the wooden bowl for 3 days, the tough outer layers of the taro are carefully removed peeled off from the softer, unexposed taro. Coconut shells are brought and coconut meat is grated. Next, a smallhandful of coconut meat is spread at the bottom of a coconut shell, then a layer of the tough flabs of taro. These two ingredients will alternate in layers, starting from the bottom to the rim of the shell. When finally reaching the top, there should be about 4 to 9 layers of the two ingredients, depending on the size of the shell and a person's preference. However, at the very top, it should always end with a thin spread of coconut meat, so the number of layers and their thickness must conform to that specification. Finally, coconut toddy is slowly poured into the shell until it reaches all the layers. This dish is commonly made for old women.^xx

3. Similar to the above method, except that instead of alternating the two main ingredients in

layers, they are mixed together, but done so on a board before placing onto a coconut.

Afterwards, they are placed in an earthoven with water and no toddy added, as it is said that when the grated coconut meat is cooked, it becomes sweet.^xxiv

Name of dish: Woto Haban(Tobi)

Ingredients: Taro, exclusively of the tauahiah variety, coconut toddy

Preparation: Taro is peeled of skin, then placed in a pot with toddy about an inch above the tubers. When pot is taken to boil, the level of toddy is observed. If it goes below the top tubers, more toddy is added to bring the juice above the taro. This is done as often as necessary until about 3 hours has passed and the roots have become soft and could be easily pierced through. Afterwards, the tubers are removed from the pot and set on a board to cool. Once they do, a pounder is used to make a few big cracks on them, big enough but not so much as to fragment the whole root. Placed back in the pot of toddy, they are scalded for 10 minutes.^xx

Preservation: To keep for a longer period of time, this dish must be scalded each day in the same pot of toddy (which by then would have attained a yellow or reddish color) for at least 3 minutes. However, Tobi natives usually prefer to consume this dish within a week, as scalding it for a longer period would make the toddy too sweet to be eaten.^xx

Note: In the past, this dish was prepared by placing the ingredients in young coconut shells, then cooked in an underground oven for about four hours. Furthermore, for this dish, out of a cluster of the cooked taro, the ones that, if pounded, would seem to stick to the pounder and do not crack, are those that are preferred.^vi

Name of dish: Yahayah(Tobi)

Ingredients: True taro, coconut toddy

Preparation: Taro is cooked in a pot with toddy about until soft, then placed in a pounding board and mashed until very soft, close in texture to pudding (pounder is dipped into a bowl of tuba to prevent it from sticking to the taro). Afterwards, the mush is placed in a young coconut shell and mixed vigorously with a small amount of toddy, then placed in an underground oven for about 4 hours.

Note: This dish is usually made for babies and victims of stroke, as it is very easy to consume.^vi

Name of dish: Woto Susur(Tobi)

Ingredients: True taro, coconut milk, sugar/toddy (optional)

Preparation:

1. Taro is scraped of roots, then peeled of skin. An earthoven is prepared, but instead of covering with leaves, it is kept exposed. The taro are then dropped directly onto the heated rocks, then the pit covered and left for about 3-4 hours. Once cooked, the taro would be found to be slightly charred at the areas that made contact with the rocks, but not heavily. Those spots are scraped lightly of carbon. Next, coconut milk is made and poured onto a shallow tray, the level of milk being below the brim of the tray and not too close to it. The cooked taro is placed into it, then cut or fragmented slightly into desirable sizes.^vi

2. Similar to above, but after being roasted, the tubers are scraped, leaving only a brownish, tough surface. Next, each individual tuber is pounded slightly to create two flattened sides, then placed over a fire once more. Afterwards, their surfaces are lightly scraped, then are cut into morsels, then placed in a bowl of coconut milk.^xx

Name of Dish: Pouhu Yanguh(Tobi)

Ingredients: Taro, coconut milk, water

Preparation: Taro is peeled of skin, then cut straight in half lengthwise. Next, they are placed in a pot, with the cut face pointed upright. Diluted coconut milk is poured into the pot until at an even level with the taro pieces or close to the brim of pot. Cooked for approximately four hours, filling pot with water to original level every time water becomes shallow.^vi

Note: In the past, Tobians used to place each half of the split taro into separate coconut shells (each filled to about half with diluted coconut milk) and baked in an earthoven for half a day.^vi

ii. Giant taro (Buroh; Buroh; Malaburakh)

Though giant taro is present in Tobi today, along with true taro, the islanders undervalued its taste, using it more as a marker for the edges of the taro swamp and as a buffer to prevent grass and other plants from creeping into it. It is made into certain dishes, but amongst Tobians it is understood as poor people's food, but nevertheless eaten occasionally.

Giant taro is also found in Pulo Anna and Merir. On Pulo Anna, to harvest it, the land had to be raised several meters higher above sea level so they may be farther away from the salt-imbued soil. It is known that in the past the plant was introduced to the island from mainland Palau.^viii

Very early in the 20^th century, giant taro grew near the center of Sonsorol island. But during the Japanese occupation of the island, they mined phosphate from that area, lowering the elevation of the ground and bringing it closer to the tapwater that is mixed with seawater. Now there is no suitable ground for the plant to take hold.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Horopariou ri Buroh (Tobi)

Ingredients: Giant taro, grated coconut meat

Preparation: Peel skin off of giant taro tubers and place, unwrapped, in an earthoven, for only half a day if the taro is about 2½ years old or overnight if it is older. Afterwards, they are removed from the ground and grated completely. Mixed with grated coconut meat, the mixture is shaped into morsels that are about 5 inches long and 3 inches in diameter.^xx

Name of Dish: Yanguh uri Buroh (Tobi)

Ingredients: Giant taro tuber, coconut milk

Preparation: Taro is peeled of skin, then either are cut slanted or crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Separately, 3 batches of coconut milk are made, the first pure, and the second and third being diluted with water. Next, slices are placed into the pot along with the second batch of coconut milk in it, which should be enough so that it is only about an inch above the slices. The pot is then heated to boil and overseen. Once the level of coconut milk recedes until about halfway through the slices, it is filled again with the third batch, then cooked once more. When the milk level recedes, it is filled again with the first batch, then left to boil for about 15 minutes.^xx

Name of Dish: Biefouh eri Buroh

Ingredients: Giant taro, coconut meat, diluted coconut milk

Preparation: Giant taro is peeled, then cut into round slices or left as is when they have cooled. Next, they are grated in a basin, then mixed with coconut meat that is slightly smaller in amount. Diluted coconut milk is poured into a coconut shell, and the taro mixture is placed into it, making the coconut milk rise to about a centimeter above the taro mixture. Placed in an earthoven, they are cooked for about 8 hours.^xxiv

iii. Island Arrowroot(Mohumohu; Mohumohu; Mohumohu)

Mohumohu, or the island arrowroot in English, is found throughout all the Southwest islands. It generally prefers sandy and porous soil, and on the islands they grow near the fringes of the beach. As of the present day, the extraction of its starch is seldom done except on special occasions or in parties. The tubers are poisonous, so extraction of the starch is done carefully. To extract its starch, the tubers are first washed clean in water, then grated finely on a dome-shaped, fine-textured coral rock that is placed in a local tapiya. Once all tubers are grated, a few handfuls are put in a coconut fiber sieve. In a separate tapyia, filled with saltwater, the sieve is placed in and squeezed of a whitish juice. Each handful of grated tuber is squeezed several times until it seems that there is no more starch left in them, then is discarded. When all is done, the watery mixture is left to let the starch settle in about an hour. Once settled, the saltwater is carefully poured out, and a new batch of freshwater is poured, but with about two cups of saltwater added to it (this is to help the starch become dense). The bowl is stirred again to disperse the starch and is left to settle again. Afterwards, this is done once more for a third time. This helps to remove a very bitter taste of the starch.ⁱⁱⁱ

There is yet another method used to extract the starch. Four short sticks are erected upright on the ground, and a porous cloth is tied at the four corners to the top ends of the sticks and a basin is placed directly underneath the cloth. The grated tubers are placed onto the cloth, then with one hand to squeeze and churn the tubers to extract starch, the other hand holds a container filled with water to constantly pour on the cloth to help with extraction, doing so until no starch is left. Afterwards, the starch is cleaned of the bitter taste, using the same method as that above. Afterwards the starch is laid in thin layers on top of banana leaves, then dried under the sun until dry and powdery ⁱⁱ

On the islands, the natives prefer to harvest the tubers for their starch when the stalk and leaves of the plants have turned yellow and frail.^iv

Name of dish: Mohumohu(Tobi)

Ingredients: coconut milk, coconut toddy, Island Arrowroot starch

Preparation: To cook the starch, one places them in a bowl-shaped cooking pot, pour a desired amount of coconut milk and/or toddy, then heat it until the mixture becomes transparent and jelly-like in texture. ⁱⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Pounu Touya (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Island Arrowroot starch, soft coconut meat, coconut milk and toddy

Preparation: Soft coconut meat is collected from young coconuts, then mashed lightly in a wooden bowl. Next, they are mixed with mohumohu starch(which is slightly bigger in amount than the coconut meat), along with either coconut milk or toddy, then heated in a pot, stirring constantly with a spatula to keep the mixture from charring and hardening at the bottom. Stirring is continued until the mixture becomes rubbery, jello-like and slightly transparent. ⁱⁱⁱ

iv. Tapioca

Southwest islanders traditionally did not harvest tapioca, and even now tapioca has great difficulty growing in the islands. Occasionally the migrated islanders would harvest tapioca, they could apply these dish.

Name of Dish: Titimel

Ingredients: tapioca, sugar, water

Preparation: Tapioca is peeled of skin, washed, then grated finely in a basin. Afterwards, the grated tapioca is taken incrementally in handfuls, then placed in a white piece of cloth. Held over a separate basin filled with water, the grated tubers are squeezed to release starch, without having to dip the cloth in the water. Each handful of tapioca is squeezed until no starch can be extracted anymore, then replaced with a new handful; the grated tuber is placed in a bowl and set aside. This step is repeated to all the tapioca, and when completed, the basin is left to allow the starch to settle. Once it does, the water is carefully drained from the basin to expose starch, which is then mixed with the grated tapioca and a desired amount of sugar and shaped into bite-size balls about the size of a small marble and set aside on a flat on a tray.

Separately, a good amount of sugar is placed in a cooking pot and heated to melt, with adequate amount of water to give the sugar a less viscous texture. The whole concoction will be red, and when it begins to boil, the balls are placed into the pot, either incrementally or all at once. But when doing so, the pot must be stirred slowly so as to not break up the balls, and the bottom of the pot must be occasionally scraped to prevent charring. As the soup in the pot starts to turn thick, the mixture is stirred more vigorously and done so until the balls appear to absorb the reddish color of the soup and congeal. One could give a taste test, chewing on a piece to see if it is thoroughly cooked.ⁱⁱ

Note: This dish is not traditionally from the Southwest islands. The natives who migrated to mainland Palau adapted from this dish from the natives there, hence why its name is given in Palauan.ⁱⁱ

v. Elephant's Ear Taro(Moruya;Moruhk; Moruya), (Balih: bahkihk; Balih) and (Firae;Unavailable; Firae)

Three varieties of Elephant's Ear Taro reside in the Southwest islands. Being poisonous, they must be prepared carefully, and each variety is prepared differently from the other. For moruya, the tuber is removed from the ground, and a yellowish layer of the tuber, which is about an inch thick, must be peeled off, using a big knife and protective gloves to protect the hands from the itchy, poisonous juices of the skin. It must be peeled off carefully, leaving not even the smallest vestige. Then at its very tip of the tuber that points into the ground, a chunk of the root, about a fourth of an inch thick, is cut off and discarded; this is said to be the itchiest part of the taro. Similarly, with the balih tuber, a layer about an inch thick and yellowish in color must be removed. However, there is yet another layer of the same thickness and whitish color as the edible part of the root but set apart from it by a distinct line, and it must be peeled off as carefully as the last.ⁱⁱ

These crops bear close resemblance to each other, except for a few details. Moruya itself has leaves and stalks of dark green color, the leaves broad in width and blunt at the tip, and their sides have a very wavy, undulating characteristic. Balih, however, has leaves and stalk that are of a lighter-green color, the leaves firmer and straighter at the edges, smaller in width and with sharp and steeper tips. When peeling off the skin, they are also distinguishable. While peeling with a knife, women find that moruya has a watery tuber and the knife's edge would slip easily over its surface, whilst allowing its juices to be emitted. Balih is just the opposite, the tuber being said to be slightly difficult to cut through as it "clutches" slightly onto the knife; it also exudes less juice. Furthermore, when cooking the two in water, balih tubers crack when cooked, whereas moruya would not, except at a section of the tuber that was the closest to the base of the leaves.^xxiii

These three varieties, when harvested, are usually cooked together in an earthoven. When arranged, the moruya is placed at the center of the oven, where the heat is most intense. Balih is then placed around the moruya, as they need less heat to be cooked. Often the two varieties are given distinct markings on their tubers so they may be distinguishable when they are removed and distributed.ⁱⁱ

Note: Moruya is usually prepared on special occasions on the island of Sonsorol. Some of the events where they would be prepared are when men carve canoes, the building of a men's meeting house, engagements and marriages, funerals, local tattooists, and to individuals who make their first visit to neighboring Fanna island. Furthermore, on the presently inhabited islands, all the natives traditionally ate these crops except the Tobians, since they preferred true taro to the possibly lethal Elephant's Ear.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Moruya Kuk(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear tuber (Moruya), water, coconut toddy

Preparation: The prepared tuber is cut crosswise into 1-2 inch thick slices, placed in a pot with water at even level, then heated to boil. The level of water is observed; once it recedes to about halfway underneath the topmost slices, more is poured in to cover all slices. Cooking is furthered, and when the water recedes again, it is refilled to original level. Cooking is continued, and at the third time it recedes, the batch of water is drained, and a new batch, mixed with coconut toddy and at an even level with the pieces, is poured in and the cooking continued until the pieces lose their itchiness. Collectively, the amount of time required to cook the slices is about 2-3 hours.ⁱⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Hapare ri Moruya(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear tuber (moruya), coconut toddy, sugar, coconut milk, water

Preparation: Taro is peeled carefully, as above, then cut crosswise, making very thin, round slices. Placed atop of banana leaves, they are dried under the sun everyday for about a week, turned over once during midday to dry both sides. Over time they will begin to shrink, and once slices are dried, they are preserved. Afterwards they must be placed in air-tight containers to prevent spoilage. To cook this dish, the dried taro is soaked in water for about 3 hours (to allow them to soak water) then placed in a pot, taking up no more than half of the space. Water, coconut toddy, coconut milk and sugar are poured in desired amounts onto the pot until several inches above the slices, then boiled. The level of the liquid mixture is watched, and when much of it has evaporated for about 2-3 hours, the pot is refilled once, then allowed to boil until the water level recedes until only a few inches from the bottom of the pot.^iv

Note: A modern alternative for the banana leaves used to dry the taro are tin roofing. They absorb and reflect a lot of heat, and so they are preferred over the leaves.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Moruya Mara Uumu(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear tuber (Moruya)

Preparation: Moruya is peeled of skin as in moruya kuk, but is left whole without parceling. Meanwhile an earthoven is prepared. Once rocks are red-hot, the tubers are placed directly onto the rocks in only one or two flat layers. A Faoraor grid is placed on top of the tubers, followed by a cover of leaves. Left for about 4 hours to cook.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Moruya(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear tuber (Moruya), sugar, water, mohumohu starch, coconut milk and toddy

Preparation: The tubers of moruya are peeled of the dangerous, itchy skin, then grated in a basin. Afterwards, mohumohu starch, sugar, water, coconut toddy and milk are added in desired amounts to the grated moruya. Enough of the liquid ingredients, especially water, are mixed with the starch and root to give it a soupy but thick texture. Placed on a tray, the mixture is cooked in an earthoven to cook for 4 hours.

Note: for this dish, there is a slightly greater amount of mohumohu starch as an ingredient than the grated moruya root. The reason for this is that the grated root has little starch, and if there is no mohumohu starch, it would be hard for it to hold the other liquid ingredients together.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Pao ri Moruya(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Grated coconut meat, sugar(optional), coconut toddy, Elephant's Ear tuber (Moruya)

Preparation: The itchy skin is peeled off carefully, then the tuber is chopped crosswise into cupcake-sized pieces or a third of that size. Next, they are placed in a pot filled with water to about twice the height of the slices or near the brim of pot. A few sections of banana leaves or a single large, Elephant's Ear taro leaf is used to cover the slices, folding their sides downwards to face the brim of the pot. The pot is taken to boil to cook, using about the same length of cooking time and method as in Moruya Kuk. Afterwards, the slices are moved in a wooden bowl and pounded into a soft mush. Sugar and grated coconut meat are added in the process to help with taste as well as making the pounding easier and more fluid. Once all ingredients have been well integrated, the mush is chunked into smaller morsels, which are shaped into balls comparable in size to hardballs.^iv

Name of dish: Balih Kuk(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear tuber (balih), water, sugar/coconut toddy

Preparation: The skinned tuber is sliced crosswise into inch-thick slices, then placed in a pot with water several inches higher than the level of the root. The slices are boiled until they crack or when a fork can easily be sunk into them when they've become soft. Once cooked, coconut toddy is placed into the pot and stirred until well dispersed, then removed from heat. This plant takes a shorter time to cook and is also tastier than moruya.ⁱⁱ

Preservation: To preserve this dish for a longer time (about a week maximum), it is cooked once or twice everyday to prevent it from spoiling, applying the method of preservation called hafauure.ⁱⁱ

Note: This crop, along with moruya, is preferred to be cooked in water along with coconut toddy. The islanders maintain that when these two crops are cooked with toddy, it would be more effective in removing the itchiness of the taro.ⁱⁱ There are two trends involved when cooking moruya with toddy. Some people prefer that after the roots have been cooked with plain water, the hafauure method of preservation is used, but toddy alone is added to the dish. Yet others prefer to add water along with the tuba in this dish after being cooked.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Balih ri Hapare(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear Taro (Balih)

Preparation: Balih tuber is prepared by having its itchy skin peeled off, then cut crosswise into slices about half an inch thick. Placed atop of woven coconut fronds or clean tin roofing, they are dried under direct sun for three to four days(that is if there is direct sun the whole time), taken in after every drying session to avoid moisture at night. In the drying process they will lose moisture and shrink in size. They may then be kept contained until use; lasts about two months.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Balih Hapare(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Balih ri Hapare, sugar

Preparation: To cook, the dried taro is first soaked in water for about three hours until they are soft again, then placed in a pot of water to cook until soft. Once cooked, the water is thrown away, and about half a bag of sugar is melted in a pot until dark red. Still hot, it is poured onto the roots, along with a small amount of water to make the sugar more fluid and less viscous. Pot is stirred to disperse ingredients, then heated to boil. Once it does, water is poured until it is about the same level as the topmost tubers. Cooked further until level of water recedes to about 3 inches from bottom of pot.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropiro ri Balih/Moruya(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Elephant's Ear Taro (any variety), water, coconut toddy/sugar, coconut milk

Preparation: After the tuber(s) have been cooked either in an earthoven or a cooking pot, they are removed and grated to a small grain in a wooden basin. Next, water, coconut milk and toddy are added to the tubers, the ingredients mixed together in desired ratios, then served as a drink or a soup.

Note: For some people, it is preferred that only water and toddy or sugar is mixed with the grated tuber.ⁱⁱ

vi.Yautia(Moruya eri Hotiwo; Woto Ruk; Moruya eri Hotiwo)

This species of taro is not native to the islands, and as its names from Sonsorol and Tobi suggest (Moruya eri Hotiwo means "Taro From the East"), it is thought by the islanders to have originally come from Chuuk. This plant is eaten on most of the presently inhabited islands except Tobi. With this plant, the islanders prefer to eat its corms rather than the main tuber, which is thought of to be too tasteless, although it is sometimes consumed.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Tora Moruya eri Hotiwo(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Corms of Moruya eri hotiwo, island arrowroot starch, water, sugar, coconut milk and toddy

Preparation: Corms are grated in a bowl, then mixed with an equivalent amount of island arrowroot starch. The other liquid ingredients are added, then blended well in a basin until well-integrated and having a thick, viscous texture. The mixture is placed in a tray, then onto an earthoven to cook for hours.

Note: when cooked in a pot, the mixture is cooked for only 1 hour, but when doing so, it has to be stirred constantly to avoid charring at the bottom of the pot. Furthermore, the mixed ingredients should be of consistent texture, but not having too little of the liquid ingredients or too much so that when the final product has been made, it is not either too hard to chew on or too soupy that it cannot retain shape when cut.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Moruya eri Hotiwo Yalung(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Yautia corms, coconut milk

Preparation: Only the small corms are used for this dish. The skin can be left on, the corm sliced thick crosswise, then placed in a pot with coconut milk at even height with slices. The pot is taken to boil, cooking until the corms have become soft, and a fork's tips can easily penetrate them.ⁱⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Moruya eri Hotiwo Iheih(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Yautia corms, coconut milk, coconut toddy, sugar

Preparation: The corms are peeled of skin, grated in a basin, then placed in a pot and blended with coconut milk, toddy, and sugar. Only enough liquid is poured to make the mixture thick, but not very viscous. Next, one uses a hand to stir the mixture in the pot until the ingredients are well dispersed. The pot is placed over a fire, and the mixture is constantly stirred with a spatula until it changes color to a light brown. When the mixture becomes more viscous and starts to congeal and harden, the pot is removed from the fire and left to cool. However, most people prefer to pour the cooked mixture into a tray and leave to cool, then parceled afterwards to be served.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Moruya eri Hotiwo Dudur

Ingredients: Yautia corms, sugar

Preparation: Corms are placed on an open fire to roast until surface is charred. Once done, a knife is used to scrape the charred surface until arriving at a harder, slightly charred layer that is more difficult to remove, and this is left as is. The corms are then dipped in a bowl of sugar, then pushed through a meat grinder. All corms are done this way, pushed through the grinder twice. At the second push through the grinder, one places hands ready in front of the grinder to receive the mush. When a six-inch length of it is pushed out, it is cut free from the grinder, then squeezed lightly to be kept intact. Using a knife, the mush is cut in half lengthwise, then each side in half again. Each elongated slice is squeezed in the palm of the hands, making the slice more cylindrical in shape. Each is cut further into morsels about an inch long. Arranged neatly on a tray, they are doused with scalded coconut milk.ⁱⁱ

Note: This dish is not traditionally of the Southwest islands, but was adopted from the mainland Palauans.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Sairi Moruya eri Hotiwo(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Small leaves and attached stems of yautia (including sprouting leaf), coconut milk, sugar, coconut toddy

Preparation: The stalks are cut from the base and separated from the leaves. Next, using a knife, a thin layer of membrane is removed from the stalk surface, which are then cut into pieces about four inches in length. Placed in a pot with the leaves, along with a small amount of water just a few centimeters below level of leaves and stalks, they are cooked for about 1 ½ - 2 hours until soft and have lost their itchiness. Afterwards, the stalks and leaves are sieved from the pot and water is discarded. Placed in a bowl, the congealed mass is cut into smaller pieces using a spoon or mashed lightly on a pounding board. Afterwards, they are mixed with coconut toddy, coconut milk and sugar, then served as a drink or a soup (whether the dish is a drink or soup depends on the amount of the liquid ingredients mixed with the cooked leaves and stalk).ⁱⁱ

vii. Sweet Potato (Tumuso; Kemute, Tumucho; Tumuso)

Presently, sweet potato has become an important food crop on the inhabited islands. Several varieties are present, but due to the predominantly sandy soils there, the tubers do not attain a very starchy interior. To plant crops, islanders prefer doing so at the beginning of a rainy season, then once the dry season arrives, the plants are harvested, removing from the ground to prevent the tubers from being parched.^xx

Name of dish: Tumuso yalonge(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Sweet potato, coconut milk, sugar

Preparation: The tubers are scraped lightly on their surface, then are sliced slantwise to 1- inch thick slices. Placed in a pot with diluted coconut milk and a desirable amount of sugar, they are boiled for 30-45 minutes; it is preferred that the level of coconut milk be about an inch below the level of the sweet potatoes.

Note: In the islands, at times the small kids would dig up the tubers that are still very young, and would wash the surface, then eat them as is like "carrots".ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Tumuso Dudur(Sonsorol), Susur ri Tumucho(Tobi)

Ingredients: Sweet potato

Preparation: Sweet potato tubers are placed onto an open fire and roasted until surface is charred. Afterwards, the charred outer skin is scraped off, then the tuber is eaten as is.ⁱⁱ

Note: To preserve this dish, Tobian islanders leave the charred skin on, then place them in a basket that is laden with the leaves of buroh, and as is the case when they are in Palau, the leaf sheath of coconut fronds, called keai. Hence they are hung on a house's rafters to aerate. They can last for a month, but must be eaten when too much mold has grown on their surface.^xxii

Name of Dish: Paor ri Tumucho(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Grated coconut meat, sweet potato

Preparation: Sweet potato is cooked first in plain water or roasted on an open fire until soft. Once cooked, the tubers are peeled (or scraped of carbon if roasted), then pounded along with grated coconut meat until soft. When done, the mush is parceled, then shaped into thick, elongate lengths about an inch in diameter and three inches in length or more. This dish is usually made for small children and old people.^v

When the tubers are burned, the most charred layer of skin can be peeled off with a knife, but when arriving at a layer that is thick and hard to peel, this can be left and be pounded along with the rest of the tuber.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tumucho Fasuyar(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Water, sweet potato

Preparation: Sweet potatoes and rinsed and cleaned of dirt, then placed in a pot of water up to three-fourths the height of the potato in the pot. Pot is heated to boil and observed. Once water recedes to about halfway below the potatoes, they are cooked. Afterwards the tubers are left to cool, then later are peeled of skin.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Yanguhu ri Tumucho(Tobi)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, coconut toddy (optional), sweet potato

Preparation: Sweet potato is cooked similarly to above, except that coconut milk is added to the water along with toddy too, but which is optional.^xxiv

Note: In the past, sweet potatoes were first halved, then each half is cut into about 3 smaller pieces. The pieces are put in coconut shells that are filled with coconut milk, then placed carefully in an earthoven for about half a day. Once cooked, they are removed from the oven, then separated from the milk that has now turned into oil. When prepared this way it was termed Pouhu yanguhu ri Tumucho.^xx

viii. Rice(Raes;Raes;Raes)

Rice is now very much a staple food in the islands and in the settlement of the islanders in Echang, mainland Palau. It has replaced natives' crops in terms of consumption, but rice does not grow in the Southwest or in mainland Palau.

There is a ship that charters the Southwest islands about once every three months. When it leaves, natives would take the trip, but with them are cargo filled with foreign food products, utensils and all sorts of items. But, however, rice is a common cargo item and is seldom unseen.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Pikipiki Naes(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Chuk uri Raes(Tobi)

Ingredients: Sweet coconut juice, washed rice, coconut toddy, coconut milk, water

Preparation: Using a knife, one coconut shoot leaflet is removed of its midrib, then interwoven, shaping into the form of a small, four-cornered purse. Before weaving completely on one corner, the inside is half-filled with washed rice. When finished, near one corner of the weaving will stick out several inches of the end of the leaflet. These can be tied to another weaving or more (usually 1 to 3 more weaving) In a pot, a mixture of water, coconut milk, coconut toddy and sugar is made. The purse-like weavings are placed into the mixture, just enough made so that the wrappings would be about 3 inches below the surface of the mixture. The pot is then heated to boil until the mixture is three inches below level of wrappings or when the color of the leaves turns slightly yellowish. The weaving will slightly bulge when rice is cooked.

Note: This recipe for making rice is not traditionally that of the Southwest islands. In the early 20^th century, Rita Riyan, the late grandmother of Sonsorol State governor Laura Ierago, traveled to Indonesia, where she learned this dish from the natives there. Returning, she introduced it to the people of her home island, Merir. The method then spread to the other neighboring islands. During the Japanese occupation of the Pacific, natives of islands in eastern Indonesia were present at the islands, and during the time they taught the Southwest islanders of this recipe for rice. But despite the later introduction, Southwest islanders still acknowledge Rita as the person who first introduced this dish. Presently, rice is prepared this way when islanders would prepare themselves for trips to mainland Palau. At times they may sell this dish in local fairs and food markets on the mainland.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Raes me Yalung me Suka me Hasi(Sonsorol), Sup(Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Rice, sugar, coconut toddy, coconut milk

Preparation: Rice is washed, then placed in a pot. A mixture of sugar, water, coconut milk and toddy is poured into pot until about 1 inch above the level of rice. Cooked for 45 minutes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Nuttouya(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Cooked rice, soft coconut meat, coconut toddy, water, island arrowroot starch(optional)
Preparation: Rice is cooked. Afterwards it is pounded, and so is soft coconut meat, but separately. Next, the two ingredients are blended together along with arrowroot starch, coconut milk, toddy and a small amount of water. A tray is laden at the bottom with banana leaves, and the mixture is poured in, then placed in an underground oven for 3-4 hours.ⁱⁱ

Note: Water and arrowroot starch are essential ingredients that determine the consistency of this recipe. Just enough of each ingredient is added to allow all components to hold together when cooked. If there is a deficiency of water in it, the final product may, instead of congealing, would dry and crumble. The starch is optional, but if added it helps to give the recipe a more rubbery texture.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tora Raes ma Moruya eri Hotiwo (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Rice, yautia corms, sugar, water, coconut milk and toddy

Preparation: The corms are grated, then set aside. Rice is cooked, then later, placed in a separate pot and fragmented using a spatula. Water is poured in until about 3 inches on top of rice surface, then the pot is brought to boil until the mixture becomes slightly thick and soupy. Afterwards, the rice is poured onto the grated corms, and coconut milk, toddy, sugar and water are added, just enough to make the mixture seem like a thick soup. Lastly, it is cooked again for 45 minutes to about an hour, or up to 4 hours if placed in earthoven.

Note: the amount of grated corm is slightly more than the amount of rice soup.ⁱⁱ s

ix. Tohi, Tari, Perae, Pali Yam(English Names Not Available)

These are all climbing vines that grow on the islands. All are present in Sonsorol and Merir, but tohi, tari and perae could not be found in Tobi State. All are prepared similarly; their leaves and vines are not consumed, only the tuber. They are harvested when their leaves and vines shrivel, turn yellow and die. At that time the tuber underground is in full size, edible and soft. If left untouched, a new shoot of vines will grow out from the ground and the tuber will begin to harden, rendering it undesirable. ^iv

For the sake of brevity, the following dishes coming from tohi and pali are a reflection of dishes prepared for the three other vines, as all are prepared similarly.

Name of Dish: Tohi Faduyar (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Tohi, water, sugar, coconut milk and toddy

Preparation: Tohi, while raw, is peeled of skin and cut into slices about an inch thick each. Placed in a pot with water about 3 inches above the pieces, they are cooked for about 1 hour or until they become soft throughout.

Note: Coconut milk, toddy and sugar could be added for taste (whence the dish would be named Yalungu ri Tohi), but the islanders usually prefer just boiling it in plain water. The skin of tohi could be removed before cooking or left as is, the tuber cooked, then peeled before eating.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Pao ri Tohi(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, sugar, water, tohi

Preparation: The tubers are sliced into big pieces, then placed in a pot with water to cook as above. After being cooked, the pieces are peeled of skin and placed into a wooden bowl. Pouring a small amount of coconut milk and sugar onto the pieces, they are mashed until very soft, then shaped into balls comparable in size to soft or hardballs. Served in one flat layer on a tray.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Pali(Merir)

Ingredients: Coconut toddy, fruits of pali

Preparation: The small, black-colored fruits of this species of yam are collected, then placed in a pot of boiling water. Once the skin appears to come loose, they are sieved out of the pot and peeled of their skin. The pot of water is discarded, and a desirable amount of toddy is poured into it. The fruits are placed in and cooked for about 1 hour. ^xxviii

x. Sago Palm (Mwiemwie; Amia; Mwiemwie)

This species of palm tree is not found on all the Southwest Islands except Merir, but long before until now, these trees have floated to the islands from Melanesian and Southeast Asian lands. It is from the Indonesians that the Southwest islanders say they learned the method for extracting and preparing the starch from both the trunk and its fruits.

The islanders incorporate them as food in the past, but the practice was very rarely done within this century. On the island of Pulo Anna, when removing the inner starch of the tree, the whole length of the trunk is cut in half lengthwise, then the inner pith is cut into big chunks about a foot in length and several inches in diameter. Each piece is placed on a women's lavalava, called masiya, water is poured onto it, then the ends of the masiya brought to fold over the pith. Together, two women would hold opposite ends of the masiya, then twist the garment in opposite directions, forcing the starch out of the pith and into a basin along with the water. The whole pith of the tree is extracted of starch this way.^viii

On the island of Sonsorol, these steps in the preparation are slightly different. The trunk, instead of splitting in half lengthwise, is cut crosswise into several smaller lengths, each about a meter long. A local hand axe, called taraefad, is used to cut in the inner pith, piece by piece, into thick lengths. Each length is pounded until its fibers break up slightly. Held above a basin filled with water, the fibrous lengths are twisted with the hands so that the starch can drop into it.^xiv

With Tobians, their way of preparation is similar to the Sonsorolese method. However, when extracting the starch, instead of using a woman's lavalava, coconut fiber sieve is used, which was rubbed and cleaned to remove any loose fibers. Each pith being wrapped in the sieve, they were placed across the brims of wooden bowls, where the women would slowly pour water onto them, then rub their hands over it and squeezing while doing so to release the starch. Once no more starch could be extracted and the basins have been filled, the starch is left to settle. Afterwards the water is carefully scooped away so that the starch remains intact. Water is poured into it again and the starch intentionally dispersed completely, then left to settle. This step is repeated about three more times or until the starch has no more foul scent. Afterwards, the starch is dried under the sun for a few days. On the first day, the starch is dried, either in the wooden bowl from which it settled, or placed on separate bowls or lengths of cleaned coconut fiber sieves to allow the starch to be in thinner layers so they may dried better and faster. and as time passes on the first day, the surface of the starch will dry a little. A piece of a coconut leaflet's midrib is then used to separate the starch from the surface of the bowl. This is to prevent it from clutching onto the bowl's surface while in the drying process. The starch is dried for about three days (a week if the layer of starch is thick) until all water has evaporated and the starch becomes light, fine and powdery.^viii

Moreover, the remaining fibrous masses that were extracted of starch could be prepared further. Removing them from the coconut sieves, they were placed in wooden bowls, then battered lightly with a stick or combed and picked with the hands to release small, grain-like particles or starch. Once the desired amount of grains have been attained, the fibers are discarded, and the grains are made into a dish by mixing with true taro tubers.^xiv

Tobians make a distinction between two varieties of sago palms. One has a whitish pith, and this is said to be poisonous and was not eaten, while the other has a light-purplish color, which is preferred and is exclusively eaten^xiv.

Note: On Helen Island, earlier this century and after the war, there was a regular presence of Southwest natives who were employed to collect trochus shells from the atoll's reefs. Often they would arrive and intend to stay for periods of about 6 months to a year, bringing an amount of food that is believed to fit the allotted timeframe. However, more often than not they would run out of food before the next ship would arrive. Since the island has a small amount of food, the stationed natives would find much food out of the sago palms that would float to shore. Moreover, their method of preparation would vary due to the lack of water that could be found on the island. At first the chunks of the pith would be pounded on a pounding board. Separately, two big containers would be put close to each other, one containing a small amount of water and the other empty but with a layer of mosquito net or coconut fiber sieve over the top. After the slabs of pith have been mashed, they would be put into the first container, where they would be squeezed of the starch until it seems that no more could be extracted. The lengths of pith set aside, the mixture is then poured onto the second container, where the sieve would sort out any big particles in the water.^xx

Afterwards a new batch of water is poured onto the first container and all the pith lengths are squeezed in it the second time. Any grains that were left on top of the fiber sieve from the last extraction are rubbed onto the surface of one of the lengths to break them up before squeezing it in the container. Later the second batch would be poured onto the other container, then left for 30 minutes to an hour to let the starch settle.^xx

Name of Dish: Mohumohu(Tobi)

Ingredients: Sago palm starch, water, coconut toddy

Preparation: In a wooden bowl, sago starch was mixed with water in equal parts, then a desired amount of coconut toddy was poured to sweeten the mixture. Placed in either coconut shells or a wooden bowl used for cooking, it was cooked in an earthoven for 3 hours.^xiv

Name of Dish: Pachapacher Tora Wot(Tobi)

Ingredients: grains retrieved from palm fibers, true taro, coconut toddy

Preparation: True taro, of any variety, is baked in an earthoven. Once done, it is taken and mashed while hot on a pounding board. Once it has become very fine and soft, it is mixed, using one's own hands, with a small amount of the grains from the palm fibers and coconut toddy. It is slightly smaller in amount than the taro. The mixture is then wrapped in buroh leaves, bound, then cooked in an uumu for 4 hours.^xiv

C. Vegetables

i. Portulaca (Hauhuda;Not present;Euaue)

This is a tender, flowering weed that is characterized by having very small, crisp leaves and small flowers of several colors, and when growing they fan out over the ground. There are at least six varieties of this plant on the island, but are probably all represented in Merir. ^xxviii This plant used to be cultivated in the past, and was much more a staple food to the island of Sonsorol and Merir than taro or other crops were. Presently, the plant is rarely consumed, and very few patches are ever found on the island.ⁱⁱ

In Pulo Anna, there is a plant called Euaue, a plant in the same family as hauhuda, but is slightly different in characteristic. Presently it is only known to grow there, but was probably grown in Sonsorol in the past, as evidenced in a traditional chant of the island that mentions the plant being eaten there.^viii

To prepare these plants for consumption, they must first be pulled gently out the ground. Along its main vine are roots that penetrate the ground, and they must all be removed. The vines and leaves are then washed clean with water before further preparation.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropiro Hauhuda (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Portulaca (Hauhuda) leaves and vines, coconut milk and toddy, sugar

Preparation: Plant leaves and stems are cleaned of roots and dirt. On a pounding board, they are lightly mashed together until soft, then blended with toddy, coconut milk and sugar. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Hauhudu (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Portulaca (Hauhuda), Coconut milk (optional) and toddy

Preparation: Plant is collected and cleaned of roots and dirt. Placed in a pot with water just below the top of the plants, it is heated to boil and observed until color of leaves turn slightly brown. Removed from heat, they are poured into a bowl and mixed with coconut milk or toddy.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Euaue (Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Portulaca (Euaue), coconut toddy or syrup

Preparation: It is removed of roots, and stems and leaves are washed in water. A frond from a coconut sprout is taken, and a bundle of the leaves and stems are placed in the coconut frond, which its edges are folded over the plant, then bound; placed atop of root crops that are being cooked in a pot to steam, a few inches above the level of boiling water. When soft, the plant is placed into a bowl with coconut toddy or coconut syrup in desired amounts, then consumed.^viii

ii. (Sauworu; Chauweri; Sauworu)(English name not available)

This is a vine native to the islands of the Southwest islands. Only its leaves, attached stems and vine tips of about a foot in length are eaten. The main stem is not eaten as it is tough and fibrous.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Piropir Sauworu(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Sauworu leaves and attached stems, coconut milk, sugar, coconut toddy

Preparation: Leaves are placed in a pot with water slightly below the top surface of the leaves, then heated only until water boils, or when the leaves attain a light brown color. A desired amount of sugar, coconut milk and toddy are poured onto pot, stirred well to disperse, then heat is turned off. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Note: As an alternative for cooking the leaves in a pot, they could be collected and placed in either young coconut shells (little water is added) or baskets, then cooked in an earthoven for 3 hours. When done, the leaves would seem to have congealed in a compact, brownish mass.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol)
Ingredients: sauworu leaves, stems and vine tips, coconut toddy

Preparation: The leaves, their attached stems and the tip of the vine are placed in a pot with coconut toddy (both at even level), then cooked until liquid boils, or when leaves attain a brownish color. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: 1 handful of sauworu leaves and tips, 1 or 2 flowers of kirifou(optional), 1 handful of the leaves of ngud, 3 young leaves and 2 mature leaves of huruhur, coconut toddy or sweet coconut juice

Preparation: All leaves and the flower(s) of kirifou are placed in a pounding board and mashed into a very soft mush, where if one squeezes it, juice could easily appear. Afterwards, the mush is placed in a coconut fiber sieve. A small bowl is filled with a small amount of water, and the secured sieve is dipped into it and squeezed to release juice from the plant matter. For each squeeze, if the juice stops running out, the sieve is dipped into the bowl and squeezed again, this step repeated several times more until no juice could come out completely and when opening the sieve, the leaves seem to be dry. Afterwards, about 1 cup's worth of coconut toddy or sweet coconut juice is poured into the bowl to mix with the plant juices. Served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Note: This drink could be made at will, but is especially prepared for pregnant women and children who lose their appetite; it has a great taste and aroma. Furthermore, there is a unit of measurement for the amount of leaves used. As stated, handfuls were used to measure the amount, which is called pirok in Sonsorol. This method of measurement is also used to natives who make traditional medicine.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Sauworu(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Sauworu leaves and tips, coconut toddy, coconut milk

Preparation: The leaves and tips are rinsed in water, then tied into small bundles with string. An earthoven is prepared by heating the rocks to red hot, then covering with a thick covering of fern leaves called sisi, just enough to allow sufficient heat to cook the bundles. The bundled leaves are placed in, then cooked for about 1 hour. After cooking, the leaves would have congealed together; parceled with a knife and placed in a bowl. Coconut toddy and/or coconut milk are added if desired, with a small amount of water to control the sweetness and oiliness of the other liquid ingredients.^iv

iii. Pumpkin (Pamuchen; Pamuken; Pamuchen)

Name of dish: Tora Pamuchen(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Pumpkin, coconut milk, coconut toddy, water, washed rice

Preparation: Pumpkin is peeled, chopped, then placed in a pot with water level that is even with the height of the pumpkin pieces. Heated to boil, the pieces are cooked until soft, then removed from heat. Washed rice is placed into pot to cover pumpkin, along water, coconut milk and toddy. Level of liquids should be about an inch above level of rice. Pot is then heated again, placed, but is not stirred; left to cook until the rice soaks all the liquid completely and the surface of the rice is dry. In the end, the ingredients are mixed vigorously in the pot with a spatula.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Rice Pamuken(Tobi)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, coconut toddy or sugar, rice, pumpkin

Preparation:

1. Pumpkin fruit is cut from top to bottom into eight equal slices, peeled of skin and seeded. Next, Each slice is chopped into smaller pieces, each about two inches in length, then placed into a pot and submerged in diluted coconut milk(sweetened with sugar) that is about 3 inches above them. The pot is heated to boil, and once the water level recedes to about three-fourths or halfway beneath the topmost pieces, they are cooked. Heat is turned off and the pot is left to cool. Separately on another pot, washed rice (equal in amount with the pumpkin) is boiled. Immediately after it is cooked and still moist, it is placed into the pot of pumpkin, along with coconut toddy and a small amount of diluted coconut milk. The ingredients are mixed vigorously until well dispersed. The pot is kept heated afterwards until the rice surface appears to be dry.^xxiv

2. A pumpkin is split in half, seeded, and the flesh is scraped into a basin. Next, coconut milk is made and poured into a pot, along with desired amounts of toddy and sugar. This concoction fills half the pot. The scraped pumpkin is poured in and the pot is heated to boil. Once the boiling liquid recedes to about halfway or three-fourths below the topmost pieces, they are cooked. With the heat maintained, washed rice is poured into the pot while one is stirring it to disperse the ingredients. Once the rice begins to soften and the mixture thickens, the heat is weakened and the pot is left on the fire. Served hot.^xxiv

.Name of Dish: Piropiro Pamuchen (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna),

Ingredients: Pumpkin, diluted coconut milk, sugar, coconut toddy

Preparation: A small hole is made directly on top center of the pumpkin, and one inserts his hand into the hole and slowly scoops out all the seeds he can manage. Afterwards, A mixture of diluted coconut milk, toddy and sugar is poured into the hole, filling half of the pumpkin. Placed in an earthoven, it is cooked for 3 hours. Next, the pumpkins are removed and would be found have soaked the once-contained mixture into its flesh, making it very soft. Split open, a spoon is used to scrape fruit off of the intact skin and into a bowl. Lastly, the fruits and mixed in a pot with coconut milk, toddy and sugar, then served as a drink.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Uumu ri Pamuken (Tobi)

Ingredients: Pumpkin, coconut milk, grated coconut meat

Preparation: Pumpkin fruit is placed in a prepared earthoven and left for about four hours or overnight. Afterwards, it is removed from the oven when cool and split in half in a perpendicular angle with the opposite ends of the fruit, then seeded. If any part of the pumpkin is badly burnt, it is peeled off. The pumpkin is placed in a wooden bowl, then is pounded lightly along with grated coconut meat and a small coconut of coconut milk. Ready to serve.^xxiv

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Pumpkin tips about a foot in length, coconut milk(optional), meat from fish, chicken or clam, salt, ajinomoto, soy sauce

Preparation: Pumpkin tops are chopped and washed in water, then set aside. In a pot, fish, chicken or clam meat is seasoned with ajinomoto, soy sauce or salt, then boiled with coconut milk until cooked (pot is not covered with a lid), after which chopped pumpkin tops are placed in and cooked further for five minutes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Korokke

Ingredients: Flour, fish from iikesol, fresh or dried, pumpkin tops, cabbage, potato leaves, onion, salt, ajinomoto

Preparation: Salted fish, the main ingredient, is cut into smaller pieces using a knife, then flaked smaller using one's bare hands and set aside. Separately, a small amount of water is poured into a bowl of flour. To make a thick, slightly liquid dough mixture. Pumpkin tops, cabbabe and potato leaves are chopped into very small pieces, then mixed with the flaked fish meat. A pan of oil is heated, and once it boils, the mixture is scooped using a big tablespoon. The mixture must fill the tip of the spoon, and when poured onto the pan, it must spread to make a flat cake (much like a small pancake), but small enough so that several more could be placed at other points in the pan. For several minutes, they are all fried at one flat side, and once it turns light or dark brown, they are turned over and fried on the other side.ⁱⁱ

iv. Papaya Leaf Shoots and Flowers(Names not available)

The small leaf shoots (at the very top of the plant) and flowers with attached stems are snapped off from their base. They are placed in a pot of water and cooked for about an hour. Leave to cool, then remove the shoots from the water and collect in your palms. Squeeze out juice from them. If they are still too bitter to consume, place in a pot of water, cook again, then afterwards squeeze out water again until bitterness is bearable. Afterwards it could be added to a number of dishes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Mangau Bung eri Babaiya

Ingredients: Young leaf shoot and flowers, canned mackerel, salt and ajinomoto, onions, garlic

Preparation: After flowers have been prepared as above, they are mixed in a pan with chopped onions, garlic and mackerel, cut into small chunks. Then seasoned with salt and ajinomoto, ingredients are stir fried in a shallow pan with salad oil for about 15 minutes.ⁱⁱ

v. Banana Flower (Piopio ri fadol; Tapiyepiye ri faso; Piopio)

All the dishes known presently that are made from banana flower are not traditionally of the Southwest islands. A woman from Indonesia, named Boy Liunsanda, is the person who first introduced it to the islanders. Earlier this century, she, along with some of her family and other crew members, got caught in a storm in Indonesia and were set adrift towards Merir. Reaching the island, they were taken in and well cared for. In time, a search party was sent to look for them, and some of the drifters decided on going back home. Boy, however, chose to stay, got married, had children, and all the while taught the islanders of her language, culture, and her culinary knowledge. Thus she taught the islanders of these dishes from banana flower. She has only recently passed away.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: N/A

Ingredients: Banana flower, salt, coconut milk, water, lime juice (optional), fish or chicken meat

Preparation: About 2 layers of the first, purple-colored leaflets of the flower are peeled and discarded. The remainder of the flower is cut slantwise into thin slices, then left in a bowl of water for about 1 hour. Afterwards, they are removed from the water, sprinkled with salt, then squeeze between one's palms to force out the white, sticky, unwanted juice. Next step, either fish or chicken meat is applied. If fish meat is used as an ingredient, the flesh is removed of all bones, then diced into very small pieces. If it is chicken meat, while raw the meat is removed of all bones, then diced small. However, the chicken's bones may be cut into small pieces (chunks of meat still attached), then mixed with the meat; they add extra taste to the dish. On the next step, meat is placed into a pot along with the banana flower. Water is added, along with a desired amount of salt and coconut milk until about a centimeter above the level of meat and banana flower. Pot is heated, and once the milk begins to boil, a desired amount of lime juice is squeezed onto the pot for added taste. The dish is then cooked further until the meat are tender and have no sign of blood. Fire is turned off and dish is served.ⁱⁱ

vi. Taro leaves and Stalk(;Unu Pa;)

On Tobi, taro leaves and stalk are eaten just as frequently as the tubers, and the islands make several dishes that incorporate them.

Name of Dish: N/A (Tobi)

Ingredients: Pig meat, taro leaves and stalk, saltwater, about 2 cups of water

Preparation: For this dish, usually the head of the pig is preferred, and cooked similarly toPeihi Kuku Rani Teti, but with only about 2 cups of water added to the saltwater. After the meat and fat could come loose from the bone, they are picked away and placed in a separate pot. Taro leaves, which are bigger in amount than the pig meat, are placed in the pot and the ingredients are cooked for 3 hours, preferably in the morning, and 30 more minutes at night. This is done for the same amount of time for 3 days, then may be eaten afterwards.^xx

Name of Dish: Chemichem eri Pa (Tobi)

Ingredients: True taro leaves and stalk, coconut juice and milk or sugar and water

Preparation: The leaves and stalk are left whole and attached to each other and placed in an earthoven for 8 hours. Afterwards, they are pounded into a soft mush, then having a very small amount of either coconut juice and milk or sugar and water added to them. Eaten as a thick soup.^xxiv

Note: There are two variations of this dish. With Tohoha eri Pa, the amount of liquid ingredients is just slightly more, then will be called Fiyefiya ri Pa if the amount of liquid is much bigger than the amount of taro leaves and stalk. ^xxiv

D. Land animals

i. Pig (Peih; Peih; Peih)

Pigs are not traditionally of the islands, but were introduced by the Spanish when they visited the islands in the past and for a time administered them. Presently there are not many grown on the islands, and are seldom eaten, but when they do it is usually for parties. To prepare the pig, its throat must first be slit so that its blood could be collected. The pig's hind legs and arms are bound tight, then the pig is laid on its flank across a fallen coconut tree trunk, head hanging over one side and the rest of its body extended over the other. Strong men hold the pig steady, and one person holds a basin directly beneath the pig's neck. It's throat is slit, letting the blood pour to the basin. Once the pig dies and the desired amount of blood is collected, one takes a bundle of dried coconut frond leaflets, called turru, lights them at their thinner ends, then runs it over the skin of the pig to burn off the hair, then a sharp knife is used to remove the hair by scraping against the skin in a perpendicular angle to the direction of the hands' movement. Young, green papayas are cut at one end to allow the white sap to flow out, then that end used to rub against the surface of the pig's skin to make it clean.ⁱⁱ

On the next step, the sternum is split down the middle using a knife, then continued downwards over the abdomen and between the hind feet, where the genitals are cut and discarded. All inner organs removed and discarded, except the intestines, liver and the heart. One must be careful in removing the pancreas, preventing it from popping. If it does it will ruin the taste of the meat. Further preparation will depend on what kind of dish is intended to be made out of it.

While preparing the pig, islanders usually collect the fat to make lard. Called Hiris I Peih, lard is made using only fat and salt. Pig fat is chopped into small chunks, then smothered with a small amount of salt (just enough to be noticeable by taste) and placed in a medium-sized pot or pan. Put on low heat and let the chunks fry. Stir and overturn the chunks of fat as the heat causes them to shrink and release oil. Eventually, there will be enough oil so that you won't need to stir, so you may let stand on heat until the shrunken chunks turn red, then remove. Place in a jar and let stand in a cold place, away from the sun and heat, until it becomes a whitish-colored semisolid. Southwest islanders use this to fry their dishes as an alternative to vegetable or salad oil and as a flavoring to certain meat dishes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Peihi Uumu

Ingredients: Pig, true taro, potato and/or sweet potato, 1 loaf of sliced bread, salt, ajinomoto, soy sauce, hot peppers(optional), chopped onions, crushed garlic

Preparation:

1. After being cleaned and removed of inner organs, all four of their hind feet and legs, and the head too, are cut from the base and removed whole. The ribs are cut from the backbone at their base, then cut lengthwise to parcel, every three rib bones kept attached to each other. The backbone itself is chopped into 3 or more pieces(meat intact), each about 8 inches in length, but this, however, depends on the size of the pig, so if the pig is still young the pieces may be shorter and fewer than that mentioned. Lastly, all the parts are placed in an earthoven and cooked for approximately 6-7 hours.ⁱⁱ

2. After a pig has been cleaned and gutted, a small hole is made in each of its hind legs at the ankles, in between the ligament and the bone. A long rope is run through them, and the pig is hoisted and tied to an overhanging branch of a big tree, then left overnight. This is to help remove as much blood from its body, which will flow out of its slit throat. Next day, it is washed clean inside and out of any hardened blood. On the next step, potatoes and/or sweet potatoes are peeled. True taro tubers are peeled, then left whole or sliced crosswise into small, round pieces. Cooking bananas are peeled and left whole. Onions are chopped and garlic is crushed. All these ingredients are then placed inside the abdomen of the pig, along with 1 loaf of sliced bread, then mixed altogether in no order. Soy sauce, salt, ajinomoto and/ or hot peppers can be placed in for flavoring. The abdomen is then sewn closed with string made from the tough skin of a coconut midrib. Left in uumu for 6-7 hours.ⁱⁱ

Note: To cook pig in uumu, hard firewood, instead of the usual coconut husks and shells, are used to provide intense heat to allow meat to be fully cooked. Moreover, the people of Sonsorol have a way to remove the fat from the abdominal walls of the pig. When having slit the stomach and removed all organs, one would use both hands to slap the inner and outer abdomen surface several times. The attached fat would be easy to remove, and these are commonly used to make the pig lard.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Peihi Farae (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Hitter Hiris(Tobi)

Ingredients: Pig lard, pig meat

Preparation: Pig meat is cut into chunks about an inch and a half thick and 3 inches long. A prepared pan containing lard is brought, and the meat pieces are submerged completely in the lard, then fried for about 1 hour.

Note: the meat is kept in the lard, even after it solidifies. In this way it could be preserved for 3 months, but must be reheated to let the fat liquefy at least once a week. This is to prevent mold from growing on its surface. Whenever one wants to eat, it must be boiled to remove the meat.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Peihi Faangifeng (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Faangi ri Peih(Tobi)

Ingredients: Salt, pig meat

Preparation: Pig meat is cut into slabs about an inch thick, removed preferably from the hips and shoulders. The meat are salted, then placed on a prepared faangi grill, smoked for almost as long as there is sufficient sunlight in a day. In this first day the person(s) preparing must make sure that the meat slabs are dry and not moist by the end of the day. The next day they are smoked again, then left for two days before smoking again. But for these days after the first, the time needed to smoke the meat may be shorter as they are dried to some degree. In this way they could be preserved for about a month.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Fitada/ Kosaos I Sari Peih(Sonsorol), Cha ri Peih(Tobi)

Ingredients: Pig meat, fat and liver, crushed garlic, chopped onions, nappa, carrots, pig blood, young, tender leaves of huruhur

Preparation: Pig fat, meat and liver are diced separately of each other into small chunks. The amount of fat and liver are about only one-fourth the amount of meat. All these ingredients are placed into a pot, without water, then dashed with salt and ajinomoto. The pot is heated to boil and occasionally churned until the meat is cooked throughout and the fat chunks have released oil and attained a light-red hue. Next, pig blood is poured into the mixture, stirred occasionally but with constant vigilance to prevent the blood from charring at the pot's bottom, for if it does, it may ruin the taste of the whole dish. With cooking continued, the color of the blood must turn completely black, indicating that it has been cooked. Once it does, crushed garlic, chopped onions and diced carrots and nappa (cut crosswise into several slices, then once down the middle) are added. The amount of vegetables should be slightly smaller in amount than the meat. Stirred only a few minutes, then served.ⁱⁱ

Note: the size of this dish, when it comes to the islanders, usually depends on the amount of pig blood that is collected. So if there is a gallon of blood collected, a sizeable pot is found that could contain it along with the meat.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Peihi Kuk(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Pig meat, nappa, kangkum, a small amount of salt, garlic, ajinomoto, onions

Preparation: Pig meat is chopped into small chunks, then put in a pot of water and heated. Once it boils, chopped nappa and kangkum are placed in along with seasonings. Cooked further for a few minutes, not allowing the meat to be too soft.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Peihi Kuku Rani Teti(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Pig meat (usually from pig's head), seawater

Preparation: To cook the head, its lower jaw is first cut away from the upper jaw at the connecting end, then itself split in half lengthwise. The skull itself is split in half by cutting across the skull, exposing the brain, which is preferably discarded. Next, all the head parts are placed in a pot called ostaf, submerged completely with saltwater, then cooked for about 2 hours, replacing with a new batch of saltwater if the water level goes low. Afterwards, the meat is left in the pot until the next day, then boiled again, but only for a shorter time. When the meat starts to come loose from the bone, the fire is abatted and the meat is hand-picked from the bones. When done, the meat is placed into a separate pot and the ostaf is washed immediately with freshwater and soap to prevent it from being damaged by the salt.ⁱⁱ

ii. Coconut Crab(Yefi;Yah;Edi)

This species of crab is found on all the islands in the Southwest, and before were especially abundant on Fanna island. It is very popular with Southwest and mainland Palauans, and due to that, they are over-harvested and are now harder to find. Even though they are a commodity now, they were not eaten extensively in the past, and were eaten, along with lahum, only when storms and typhoons bar them from fishing and preparation of other food. These crabs are very fatty as they feed off of coconut meat, and one cannot eat too much of its fatty abdomen.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Yefi Kuk(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Water, Yefi

Preparation: In a pot, water is poured in and seasoned with a small amount of salt. Water level is preferred to be low, slightly lower than the crab; about four inches. The crab is placed in to cook until its shell is all red.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Yefi Susur(Tobi)

Ingredients: Coconut crab

Preparation: The crab is placed whole onto an open fire and left to burn until its shell turns completely red. Afterwards its exoskeleton is pounded and the meat is eaten as is.^xx

Name of Dish: Farae reni Uiyeri Yefi(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Salt, crab meat and fat, onions, garlic

Preparation: The crab is either cooked or roasted until shell is completely red. Afterwards, its shell is pounded with a heavy stick or a pounder and the meat is removed, flaked using one's bare hands and then set aside. Next, the abdomen is cut off whole from its meeting point with its shell. One uses his/her your hands to part the center of the soft skin of the abdomen and remove the intestines and other organs. The fat is then scraped off, using a spoon, and placed onto a pot and heated. Once the fat partly liquefies and bubbles, the flaked meat is placed in place in, along with chopped onions and garlic, then the pot is left to boil for only a short time. Served hot.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol)

Preparation: After crab has been cooked, its abdomen is opened lengthwise with bare hands and removed of intestines. The meat, removed out of the shells, are flaked and placed into the abdomen. Eaten as is.ⁱⁱ

iii.Land Crab(Lahum; hahum ; Lahumu)

There are several species of land crabs in the Southwest islands, though not very abundant. In the past, in case there would be no chance of going out fishing due to strong currents and rough seas and winds, crabs would be consumed.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Lahumu Yalung (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, crabs, salt

Preparation: Crabs are collected, and their claws are snapped off at the base. The bottom shell connected to the carapace is pulled off, exposing the inner organs. Next, the yellowish internal fat, called uiyar, are parted away from other organs and placed into the now-empty carapace, then set aside; the yatir is removed. The claws of the crabs are pounded, but lightly so that they crack but remain intact and attached to the meat. The claws and bottom shells are placed in a pot, which is filled the pot with a mixture of coconut milk and water up to the same level as that of the claws. Next, all carapace containing the fat are placed upside down, with the inside facing up. Pot is heated to boil until all crab organs turn red.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Lahumu Dudur(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Hahumu Susur(Tobi)

Preparation: Crabs are placed onto a weak open fire and left to cook until the shell attains an orange color. Afterwards, the carapace is cracked open. The meat and all inner organs are eaten except the yatir.ⁱⁱ

E. Sea Life

i. Fish(Iih; Iih; Iih), general

In the past, fish was prepared largely with earthovens, and were also either smoked or burnt on an open fire. The Southwest islands were and are abundant with fish, and thus they formed a great part of their diet. Many species were consumed, but several were especially preferred, such as Tahu, Halangap, Yaaru, Faofao, Yauma, Baul, Mamusi, Mahi, Mahiroput, Mahirimatau, Mahioufer, Sepp, Horasi, Ranguya, Fifi, Leeri, Talis, and Eauarap.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Iikesol(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Iikesorr(Tobi)

Ingredients: Fish, salt

Preparation: Fish are scaled, gutted, then its meat cut into slabs about an inch thick, four inches in width and eight inches in length. All slabs are smothered all around with a very big amount of salt, then placed in an adequately-sized bucket or wooden bowl. Dried banana leaves are placed atop the fish, then a pot lid is placed atop the leaves, then heavy rocks are placed atop the lid and the bucket is left overnight. Next day, the weights would have forced out most of the fluid within the bodies of the fish. The bucket is covered with a lid, and in this way the fish can be preserved for up to 6 months.

Note: When islanders want to dry the fish pieces, the fluid is thrown away. The fish are pierced with big fishhooks (made of thick coconut or turtle shell), then hung on a rope tied at the two ends to trees near the beach. They are left there, exposed to sunlight until the flesh loses all moisture; rain is avoided. When dry, the fish are stored in airtight plastic bags to avoid mold and spoilage; can last for 6 months. Southwest islanders who prepare fish this way now usually send packages of them to relatives living in Palau Proper.

To prepare for consumption, they must first be soaked in fresh water for about 10 minutes, then brought out and squeezed lightly to make their saltiness agreeable.

Note: For this dish, big pelagic fish and several large reef fish are preferred. Those that are excluded from this dish are peinging, taud, mangalu, hum and all surgeonfishes. Furthermore, though buckets or wooden bowl are used to contain the fish, islanders usually prefer big glass jars.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Iih Yalung (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Iihe Yanguh (Tobi)

Ingredients: Fish, coconut milk, salt, ajinomoto, water

Preparation: A pot is filled with diluted coconut milk, seasoned with salt and ajinomoto. It is heated to boil, and once it does, fish meat, left whole if small or filleted or cut into sections if big, are placed in the pot. It is left to boil several minutes, then heat is turned off.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Iih Dudur (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Iihe Susur(Tobi)

Ingredients: Fish

Preparation: An open fire is left to burn, and once it subsides and only the embers are left glowing, fish is placed bare on the charcoal. When one side is cooked, it is turned over to the other side to cook. Islanders usually prefer to eat with root crops or grated coconut meat.

Note: For iih dudur, fishes with a big amount of fat are preferred, namely burahareya, marango, wararum, and yalong. Furthermore, in Sonsorolese and Tobiancustom, fish that were barbecued for a family had their flanks cut several times from top to bottom, sliced straight towards the spinal bone but not severing it; they were also equidistant on both sides. The number of cuts made depends on the number of family members. Next, on both flanks, single horizontal cuts that run their length are made, them being halfway between the dorsal area and the abdomen. After being barbecued, the meat pieces are given to family siblings in an order where the meat piece closest to the head of the fish is for the oldest sibling, then towards the tail the pieces are given in succession from next oldest to the youngest, who would eat the base of the tail.ⁱⁱ

Furthermore, in the past, the stomach area-including the stomach meat and intestines- are eaten only by old people. The only aberration to this custom is on the consumption of tahu and halangap. With them, the stomach meat which covers the inner organs could be consumed by children and young adults. Moreover, in Tobi, fish are predominantly scaled and gutted before being roasted. However, with several fishes, especially morr, horachi and metacha, the scales and the intestines are left on, the latter which is said to have a desired amount of fat.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Iikesol Yalung (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Nappa, kangkum, salt, ajinomoto, coconut milk, water, salted fish(iikesol)

Preparation: Salted fish meat is diced into small chunks, then placed in a pot of diluted coconut milk, the milk at even level with the meat or just an inch above. Chopped onions and garlic are added to the mixture, then seasoned with salt. Next, the pot is heated to boil, and once it bubbles, chopped nappa and kangkum, cut into inch-long pieces, are placed in. Stirred only a few minutes, then fire is turned off.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Iihe Faangifeng (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Iihefaang(Tobi)

Preparation: This is a preservation method preferably applied to pelagic fish, especially talis and faofao. To smoke fish, Sonsorol islanders make a faangi, or a local smoking grill. They cut branches of trees to make four poles about three feet in length and are naturally forked at one end. Those poles are hammered to the ground, aligned in a rectangle, with the forked ends pointed upright. Coconut fronds are then removed of their leaflets, and the midribs are salvaged for use. Two of the midribs are cut into good lengths, then fitted onto two of the forked poles that constitute the two longer gaps of the rectangular alignment. Afterwards, several coconut midribs are placed perpendicular and on top of the two other midribs, with gaps of about two inches between them to allow the smoke to preserve the meat. The midribs must be cut to just be a little longer than the distance between the two parallel midribs on which the top ones are set on; the base removed completely, along with most of the thinner length of the midrib. All fish meat are left raw to smoke. An exception to this is shark meat, which is cooked first, then smoked, since smoking it raw will make it too hard.ⁱⁱ

Note: an exception to the preference in the variety of pelagic fish is eauarap.

Name of Dish: Iihepou(Tobi)

Ingredients: Tahuu meat, salt

Preparation: The pelagic fish called tahuu is gutted and washed clean. Its flanks would then be cut into flabs, each about 10 inches long and 2 inches thick. A heavy coating of salt is applied on the meat, which would then be wrapped using young fronds from a coconut sprout. The wrappings bound, they are placed in an earthoven overnight. Next day, the wrappings are changed (as they are burned too much to ever use again) and the meat is placed in the earthoven for only half a day. The next day it is baked for the same amount of time, then left alone the following day. On the fourth day, it is smoked again. It is continued until the fish meat has shrunk considerably and turned hard.^xx

Name of Dish: Kosaos I Yamat (Sonsorol)

Ingredient: Fish

Preparation: This is fish eaten raw. This method of food consumption is usually applied to big pelagic fish. In the past this was the main method for eating fish. Their flanks would be scaled (if there is any), sliced into chunks, then were served to family members; or their bodies cut into sections similar to iih dudur. If there are any leftover meat from the fish's body, they were roasted on an open fire as dudur.ⁱⁱ

Amongst certain islanders in Sonsorol, there are different preferences in the eating of certain raw fish. With a few people, a preferred method for eating tahu and/or halangap is to leave the fish under the sun for about half a day, letting the meat of the fish soften and become juicy. Later they are eaten raw. Yet another variation involves only the fish tahu. Its flanks are pounded with a stick or a stone pounder until all the flesh underneath the skin are soft and fragmented. The flanks are sliced into morsel-sized chunks, then eaten raw.ⁱⁱ

When preparing raw fish for certain dishes, or when eaten raw and some amount of it remain but are still desired for consumption, natives in Sonsorol apply a method that uses coconut husks, and a house-like preservation tool called haicho. A whole flank of a fish, if it is small, is sliced off of the bone, or if the fish is big, its meat is sliced into slabs, then placed on the fibrous side of a coconut husk. If the meat's length is comparable to the length of the husk, it is placed parallel to the husk. If the fish meat or flank is longer than the husk, then an adequate amount of husks are placed side by side until they match in length to the meat. Kept this way, the fish and the husks are placed in the haicho. They can only be preserved overnight. This method works by the presence of the husk and the use of the haicho. The husk is intended to act as a sponge, for when the fish is placed on top of it, over the course of a few hours the fish will start to exude fluid. This fluid could spoil fish, so the husk will absorb it and prevent that. With the haicho, which is screened on the sides and top, constant flow of air helps the fish from accruing a bad smell too quickly. Before the introduction of the refrigerator, this was the preferred way to preserve raw, unsalted fish. The haicho was a Japanese introduction prior to World War II when the islands were occupied, thus this preservation method is not traditional to the islands. Sonsorol islanders prefer big pelagic fish to be preserved this way.ⁱⁱ

Moreover, in Sonsorol the fishes tahu and halangap were parceled in certain orders when eaten raw or are to be baked or barbecued. With halangap, it was relatively uncommon on the island, and so it was treated as a delicacy. To parcel, it was laid on top a thick spread of the leaves of yalomah. First, on both sides of the thin layer of flesh just above the pelvic fins, a knife is inserted about 2-3 inches directly below the pectoral fin (and about an inch away from the edge of the operculum). At that point a horizontal cut is made towards the rear until at a point just a centimeter beyond the tip of the pelvic fins. The trend is then changed, making an adjacent cut that is perpendicular to the first and goes across the belly of the fish. This flab of flesh is lifted, exposing the organs, which are then removed. ⁱⁱ

Next, from the point where the flab was first cut, a cut is also made, going upwards at an angle and rounding at about an inch behind the pectoral fin. The cut is continued at an angle that is similar to the cut below the pectoral fin, stopping at about a point about a centimeter from the top of the spine. Afterwards, another cut, about an inch behind the first cut, is made parallel to the first, also stopping at a point to the side of the spine; this is done on both flanks. This loose pieces of flesh between the two cuts is then eaten on the spot, as they say that it is particularly tasty. ⁱⁱ

Next, the tail section is cut off, from a point about 6 inches in front of the caudal fin, then with a knife, the end of the finlets are cut at about a centimeter beneath, cutting them free from the flanks to about a length that could be held securely in the hand. Lastly, this strip of flesh is pulled upwards, removing the rest of the finlets, the first and second dorsal fins and the strip of the flesh directly atop of the spine, all the way until it reaches the ends of the first cuts made from the stomach flab to the sides of the spine. Once done, the head of the fish is snapped and pulled away from the rest of the body.ⁱⁱ

Furthermore, after the head and the tail section have been removed, two shallow, horizontal cuts are made about halfway between top and bottom and stretch along the length of the flanks; they are very close to each other. The tough skin between these cuts is pulled off, exposing the dark-red flesh. Natives usually consume the meat from this area by running two fingers down towards the cut from where the tail was cut, applying pressure too to scoop out the flesh. In that direction one prevents himself from running his fingers against the bones, causing a laceration. Moreover, due to having pulled off the strip of flesh on the top and bottom of the fish, the flanks of the fish could easily be pulled off from the whole length of the vertebrae; this can be done to no other fish except halangap.ⁱⁱ

As for tahu, its parceling is similar, but slightly different. The flab of flesh that covers the stomach, called mweer is cut similarly to halangap. Next, the two upward cuts made behind the pectoral fins are made straight instead of curving from top to bottom and are slightly farther apart from each other. The tail section is then cut at a point several inches farther up from the caudal fin. Next, three lines, about two inches equidistant from each other, are cut deep along the length of the flanks and about halfway between the top and bottom. These lines separate the area of dark-red flesh from the clearer areas of white flesh.ⁱⁱ

Afterwards, the flanks are removed by cutting them free from the vertebrae, then are cut into smaller pieces and eaten raw or barbecued.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Siwokara(Sonsorol, Pulo Anna and Tobi)

Ingredients: Stomach of tahu, intestines of halangap, salt, fish meat

Preparation: The stomach of tahu is removed of any food and intestines of halangap and the intestines cleaned of any waste and a blackish organ. Next, the two are cleaned well with water to remove any traces of blood. The stomach of tahu is cut into very small pieces and the intestines into shorter strips. Placed in a glass or plastic jar, they are doused with a big amount of salt. Afterwards, the jar is sealed and left in a cool place. This dish is a preserve and can last for several months. To eat, a small amount is put on a plate and spiced with lemon juice. A separate dip of salad oil is made for the dish. Eaten preferably with root crops or rice.ⁱⁱ

Note: On Tobi, aside from using the said ingredients above, the islanders also use fish meat. To prepare, the flanks are cut into thick strips, then each length is cut smaller into chunks about an inch in length. Once done, the pieces are placed in the palm of one's hand, then are squeezed strongly to remove as much juice as possible from the flesh. Afterwards, they are smothered with salt, then placed in a jar.^xxiv

Name of Dish: Sashimi(Sonsorol, Tobi and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Raw fish meat, soy sauce/salt, huruhur juice, aged palm wine

Preparation: Raw fish is filleted or chopped in desirable pieces. Placed in a bowl, they are either doused with salt or soy sauce. They can be eaten as is, or the juice of huruhur can be added in a desirable amount for spice. Aged palm wine, which is made from coconut toddy, can be added too to spice.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Iihe Kuk(Merir)

Ingredients: Fish, young shoot from Bird's Nest Fern, salt and ajinomoto

Preparation: Fish is scaled, gutted, sliced into desirable pieces, seasoned and placed in a pot of water. The pot is brought to boil, and once the fish is cooked throughout, the young shoots from a Bird's Nest Fern are dropped in and the dish is boiled for 5 more minutes.^xxviii

Name of Dish: N/A(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Pig lard, salt-dried fish

Preparation: An open fire is made and left burning until only the glowing embers and little heat are left. Iikesol (salted fish) is pounded slightly to make cracks along its surface. When fish turns hot, Hiris I peih, or pig lard, is lightly smothered over the flat surface of the fish. The cracks on the fish will allow the lard to be absorbed. Afterwards, it is left for only a short time on the embers, then removed.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Iihe Kuk Reni Hiris, Farae Reni Hiris (Tobi)

Ingredients: Fish meat, usually from pelagic fish that have few bones, lard, salt

Preparation: Fish is scaled, gutted, and its meat is chopped. Separately, lard is liquefied in a pot, and once it does, chopped fish meat is placed in and cooked for 30 minutes, seasoned with a small amount of salt. Afterwards, the meat is left in the pot and lard is allowed to solidify. The meat is left as is, and when one desires to eat them, it must be reheated to free the meat.ⁱⁱ

Preservation: To keep meat from spoiling while being contained in the lard, the fat must be boiled once a day for approximately 1 week, its maximum life-span.ⁱⁱ

Note: In Tobi this dish is made, but the islanders prefer using only the cooked, leftover meat from a dish of Tahuu. The meat is flaked, placed in a pot with a small amount of lard and heated. Once the lard boils, the meat is stirred very briefly. Afterwards the pot's lid is placed and the dish may be eaten when desired, but is preserved in the same manner and for the same length of time as the dish from Sonsorol.^xx

ii.Turtle(Wor;Woor; Wor)

Turtles were a delicacy in the past, and in the islands it is very abundant. As of the present day, turtles frequently visit the island of Merir, which is a great nesting ground for them. Presently they may occasionally be seen they may be seen on the other inhabited islands, but over-consumption has wiped out generations of turtles who use them as nesting grounds.

The islanders have long preferred to eat the green turtle exclusively, and so other frequenting species, especially the hawksbill turtle, are not eaten. In truth, turtle was not eaten by all people in their own discretion. For Sonsorol, it was reserved for chiefs, who presided over the parceling of its body parts when they were brought to shore. To prepare a turtle, usually most men on an island would be involved in its preparation. Selected men would prepare the meat, then the different body parts distributed distinctively to specific clans on island. With the other three islands, there are variations in culture that allow for distinct people to prepare the meat, and even the method used in the parceling of the organs.ⁱⁱ

Before a turtle could be made into any kind of dish, the islanders follow a similar pattern in parceling its different organs. Turtles were turned over to lie on their carapace. Still alive or dead, the tip of a small knife is inserted at the edges of the chest cavity at one side of the top two flippers; only the first inch of the knife's tip is inserted to prevent it from puncturing the intestines. The knife is then thrust all the way around the chest cavity's edges to remove it, but as one proceeds to do so, a transparent membrane is attached to the cavity underneath it, and one must remove this by scraping the knife against the cavity's inner surface to separate them. Eventually it is removed completely and set aside. Dissection is stopped for a moment, and the heart is slit. When blood flows out in profusion, a coconut shell is used to cup it. Aside from the heart, blood is also collected in between and all around the inner organs until a desired amount is attained.ⁱⁱ

The next step is to remove the flippers. The outer skin of the flippers that are attached to the carapace are cut at the meeting point, gradually pulling the flipper while cutting the meat at the flipper's base from the carapace. Eventually only the scapula will be left to cut, and flipper(s) is dislodged completely. Once all flippers are removed, the intestines and other organs are removed. The neck of the turtle, still attached to the carapace, is slit in the middle and the windpipe is cut at its beginning and discarded along with the kidneys. The intestines is slit at the meeting point with the stomach, then held at that cut end. One begins pulling out the intestines, eventually finding the end attached to the rectum. Holding tight that end, it is cut free, and the intestines having been completely freed, are parted open lengthwise with a knife, while simultaneously discarding the waste. Afterwards, the intestinal lengths are cut into shorter lengths and washed clean with water to remove the stench of waste. The heart, stomach, lungs, pancreas and liver are removed and set aside and the urinary bladder discarded. However, for the heart, stomach and liver, they were usually burned on the spot as dudur, a snack for the men preparing the turtle.ⁱⁱ

With the people of Pulo Anna, the turtle is prepared by the chiefs of the island and in a slightly different form. First, the turtle is killed, and the upper chest cavity, at its meeting point with the tough skin of the turtle at the base of the neck, is slit to make an opening about 10 inches or more. A presiding chief would slip one hand through it and look for any eggs that are in the turtle, if it is female. He takes only an amount that is adequate and could be divided equally among the chiefs. Using a coconut shell, some of the turtle blood would be collected too. Next, the turtle is balanced on its abdomen on top of a big rock, preferably semi-circular in shape. Dried coconut inflorescense sheaths and fronds were piled at the void between the turtle and the ground. This is thick enough so that the turtle could remain steady. The fronds are set on fire and left for several minutes, causing the internal organs to be slightly cooked as a result.

Afterwards, the chief would proceed to remove the intestines. At first he lacerates the skin covering the throat and removes the windpipe, cutting it from a point as far in as he could grab immediately. Once discarded, he slips his hand in and searches for the beginning part of the small intestines, and finding it, he cuts it off from the stomach and pulls it out, while simultaneously freeing the rest of its length from a thin membrane that holds the intestines against the carapace. Once most of the intestines have been removed and the tail of the turtle seems to budge when the gut is pulled, the chief reaches in again to find the end of the remaining length of the guts that is attached to the anus. Any waste found is pulled upwards by pressing the thumb and index finger against the gut and sliding it over the surface, forcing waste away from that area. Once all waste is outside the body, the gut is terminated from the outside and the remaining gut length still attached to the anus is pushed back into its belly.ⁱⁱ

Lastly, the chiefs remove half of all the paired organs. The blood and remaining eggs are left too. This is a gesture from the chiefs, who believe in a system of equality and thoughtfulness, not taking everything for themselves and leaving the fishermen empty-handed. This method of preparation is called Tau Mad in Pulo Anna and Sonsorol.^viii

Name of Dish: Wor Uumu (Merir)

Ingredients: Turtle, coconut milk, young, tender leaves of hassih, salt

Preparation:

1. The parceled body parts of the turtle are placed in harais baskets(woven from a young coconut frond shoot), then placed in an earthoven; faoraor grid is placed atop the baskets. Cooked for 4 hours. When done, the meat are removed, put into new baskets, then distributed. ^xxviii

2. The method of tau mad (called hafa in Merir) is used, but after the intestines have been removed and cleaned, another square hole is made several inches below the incision on top of the chest cavity. The turtle is then turned over and the blood is allowed to drain from its body until no more of it runs. Next, coconut milk(seasoned with salt) is poured into the hole, then the young, tender leaves of both hassih and louhataf are stuffed into the hole. The square area of the turle's cavity is placed back, and the turtle is laid upside-down in an earthoven and left to cook for 4 hours.

Note: There are alternative methods used to prepare the turtle for earthoven. One old method, involves opening the chest cavity of the turtle, removing all organs, then cleaning them separately of each other; the blood is set aside and used for a separate dish. When preparing the earthoven, leaves are laid on top of the hot rocks, then the organs of the turtle (excluding windpipe, lungs, urinary bladder, pancreas) are placed in a heap on top of leaves. The carapace is fitted snugly over all the organs, then the earthoven covered and left for about 3 hours.ⁱⁱ

For Wor Uumu, logs, instead of coconut husks and the dried coverings of coconut flowers, are used for cooking to provide intense heat. Furthermore, on Sonsorol in the past, kids used to make a balloon out of the urinary bladder of the turtle. Cut loose at one end by one pipe, it is squeezed to remove urine, then placed on a board and pounded with a heavy stick, then turned inside out. It is then left under the sun to dry until smell of urine subsides, then is later on blown from one pipe to make it expand, then tied at that end to prevent deflation. Used as a toy by kids.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Wor Faangifeng(Sonsorol, Pulo Anna, Merir)

Ingredients: turtle meat, salt, about half a pound, seawater

Preparation: Turtle meat is sliced into thin slabs that are less than half an inch thick and 5-8 inches in length. A bucket is filled with seawater, then further salted with half a pound of salt. The slabs are placed in it and left for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, a smoking grill is prepared, and once the fire from the logs subsides considerably, the turtle meat is removed from the bucket and laid on top of the grill. Every 5 minutes, they are overturned, and the whole period of smoking would take up to 3 hours. Afterwards, the slabs are placed on top of a faoraor grid (erected on four sticks) and dried under the sun for 3 days.

Note: Even though this dish is called wor faangifeng, the meat is actually barbecued to a reddish hue instead of one attempting to remove its internal juices and char the meat surface.^xxviii

Name of Dish: Wor Hapare (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Turtle meat, salt

Preparation: Turtle meat is sliced in thin slabs about one-half inch thick, salted heavily, then placed in a sealed container overnight. The next day, the pieces are placed atop banana leaves and dried under the sun until dry and all moisture lost. Preserved this way, they could last for 2-3 months, but after every two weeks, they are taken out and sun dried.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Wor Sol (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Turtle fat and meat, salt

Preparation: When a turtle is caught and being prepared, its fat is collected. Placed in a bowl, a small, separate container is placed beside it. An even layer of fat, about an inch thick, is laid at the bottom of the empty container, then a generous amount of salt is sprinkled on top. Another layer of fat is placed atop the salt. Alternating layers of salt and fat are made until there is no more fat left. Covered, the container is left overnight. The next day you will find a few inches atop the fat layers. Leave as is; the fat is preserved in this liquid. Can be kept for 4 months. Preferred to be eaten along with meats.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Farae ri Wor(Sonsorol, Pulo Anna and Tobi)

Ingredients: Turtle fat and meat

Preparation:

1. Turtle fat, by itself in large amount or along with meat, is cooked in a pot without water. Once the fat has dissolved into liquid, the fire is turned off. Some of the liquid will turn into a semisolid and rise to the surface of the water, and this is scooped out and placed in a pan, melted once more, used to fry slabs of turtle meat (excluding soft organs) about half an inch thick. These slabs are fried until brown and thoroughly cooked and there would be no traces of blood left. The meat is fried in the turtle lard once everyday for 5 days, after which they are placed in a pot of turtle oil and heated until it boils. Once cooking is done, the meat could be left in the oil. Repeat this every five days for up to 2 months.ⁱⁱ

2. Turtle meat is cut into small, sizeable morsels, then boiled in a pot of water. Once cooked, they are removed from the pot and placed into a basket and left to sit for 6 minutes or more to wait for the meat pieces to drain off any juices. Meanwhile, turtle fat is heated is heated in a pan, and when the chunks exude oil and shrink, they are discarded, leaving the oil. The meat is then placed into the oil, along with the tender leaves of hassih, and seasonings. Fried for about 3 minutes. ^xxviii

Name of Dish: Gau Hapare (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: undeveloped turtle eggs

Preparation: Turtle eggs, when still in the womb of a turtle and not yet fully developed, are placed in a bowl, then one by one, the balls are carefully wound at the centers with thin pandanus leaf string; about eight inches to two feet long. Each string would have several turtle eggs tied to it. One end of the string is tied to a pole supported horizontally on upright, forked poles about six feet in length. They are then left hanging, drying under sunlight for about 3 days until they turn firm, similar to a cooked egg yolk, but sticky and slightly starchy when consumed. Afterwards, they can be hung on the rafters of a house, at a spot where it is subject to flowing wind, and may be eaten when desired; could last for 1 month. This dish is preferred to be eaten by itself.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Fitada/ Kosaus I Sari Wor(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Cha ri Wor(Tobi)

Ingredients: Turtle meat and fat, turtle blood, intestines and lungs (optional), salt, ajinomoto, onion, garlic, undeveloped turtle eggs (if available)

Preparation: Turtle meat is diced into small chunks, then mixed with an approximately equal amount of turtle fat. Turtle intestines are slit along its length to open, parceled into shorter lengths, then cut crosswise into slices about a centimeter thin. The lungs are also cut into a size comparable to the meat and fat. This mixture is placed in a pot, then a desired amount of salt is dashed and mixed with it. The pot is taken to boil with no water added, and once all the fat liquefies, chopped onions and crushed garlic are added. The young, tender leaves of huruhur are mixed with the mixture, which will help improve the scent of the dish. The pot is taken to boil and constantly attended to, churned and scraped at the bottom with a spatula to prevent the bottom from charring. Stirring is continued until meat pieces have turned brown and are thoroughly cooked, with no trace of rawness. Once cooked, turtle blood is poured in while one constantly churns the pot to prevent the blood from charring. Just enough blood is added so when they turn brown and cooked, they would not be too much that the meat will be dry, or too little that the mixture remains soupy. Once the blood turns completely brown, about ten to twenty undeveloped turtle eggs (shells still soft) are placed whole in the pot along with the mixture, then the mixture is churned only a very short time to spread the eggs. A few will break, but the person preparing the dish churns the mixture carefully to keep most of them whole; they are very fatty. Once the eggs have turned slightly tough, similar to a cooked egg yolk, then the fire could be abatted and the dish is served.ⁱⁱ

Note: In the past, this dish was done, but instead of using a pot, the islanders used the carapace of the turtle itself. Four well-shaped coral blocks are placed in a fitting square configuration, and the carapace is placed upside down, its four sloping corners lying steadily on top of the stones. A weak, slow-burning fire, fueled only by dried inflorescence sheaths, coconut shells and small twigs, is made under the turtle shell, and the dish mixture is churned for a long time. The weak fire is intended to keep the carapace from burning, causing a leak that could put the cooking to a halt.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Sashimi ri Wor (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Turtle meat and fat, salt or soy sauce, lemon, crushed hot pepper, vinegar made from coconut toddy (optional)

Preparation: Turtle meat and fat are diced separately with a knife into very small pieces, then are blended together. The other ingredients are mixed together, added to the meat and fat. Eaten as is.ⁱⁱ

Note: This dish is very simple, and is usually done to a turtle once it has been caught and brought to the beach. Only a small amount of the turtle fat and meat are taken from the turtle, then prepared using the chest cavity of the turtle as a cutting board. The men who prepare it do this as a snack before going ahead with completing their task of preparing the turtle.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Wor Dudur (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Turtle meat

Preparation: Turtle meat is sliced into slabs about 1-2 inches thick. An open fire is prepared, then left to burn until only glowing embers and little heat remains, but they should still contain a good amount of heat. The slabs are placed directly onto the embers, then roasted; overturned occasionally from side to side to roast evenly. The slabs are roasted until all traces of blood are not found when pieces of the slabs are cut to check the inside.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tei Dudur (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Turtle intestine, turtle fat and meat, salt, nappa, green pepper, onions, salt and ajinomoto

Preparation: Turtle intestines are cut to about 1 foot lengths, turned inside out so that the inner walls could be washed clean of waste and its stench using water, then turned in again. Turtle meat and fat are diced into very small chunks and seasoned, and so are the vegetables. The intestines are filled with the mixture, tied at the ends with thin string. These are then placed on an open fire until the intestine's surface is brown.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Faangifeng ri Tei ri wor (Merir)

Ingredients: turtle intestines, about half a pound of salt, seawater

Preparation: The guts are cut free from the stomach and rinsed clean in water. Next, they are cut into shorter lengths of about 6-8 inches, left tubular is split in half lengthwise, then placed in a bucket of seawater as in wor faangifeng and left for 30 minutes. Afterwards, they are smoked for 3 hours, then dried for 3 days under the sun. ^xxviii

Name of Dish: Farae Reni Uiyeri Wor (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Turtle fat and meat, salt, ajinomoto, intestines

Preparation: Turtle fat is boiled in a pot until it liquefies completely. Once it does, place chopped turtle meat inside, seasoned with desired salt and turtle intestines if desired. Cook in the fat for 30 minutes to about an hour.ⁱⁱ

Note: If one wishes to preserve the dish, after it is cooked the meat and intestines must be placed in a separate pot and left overnight. Next day, the meat and guts are placed in and the method of hafaaure is applied, boiling the dish again but for a shorter time than the first. Once the meat is completely cooked throughout and no trace of blood is left, they may be left in the fat with the intestines. Afterwards the pot is reheated once a day for two more consecutive days, then is left alone the following day. Afterwards, it is boiled again, then left untouched for 2 more days. This trend is maintained, lengthening the amount of days between each reheating. The maximum amount of days it could be preserved is two weeks, counting all the days of cooking and the days between each rekindling.ⁱⁱ

iii. Porcupine Fish (Taud;Taush;Taud)

This fish is found on the islands, and can be made into several dishes. In the past, it was eaten only by elders and adults who have had children. Kids themselves were prevented from eating it.ⁱⁱ

Name of dish: Taud Yalung (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Yanguh eri Taush (Tobi)

Ingredients: Porcupine fish, garlic, onions, coconut milk, salt, ajinomoto

Preparation: The fish is gutted, submerged completely in a pot of water, then boiled until the skin becomes soft. Using a tool that is locally called a longnose, the spines are pulled out of the skin. The skin is then pulled from the flesh, then cut into 1 inch lengths. The meat is cut into small chunks and set aside with the skin; afterwards garlic and onions are diced. Lastly, these ingredients are placed in a pot of diluted coconut milk, completely submerged and seasoned with a desired amount of salt and ajinomoto. Cooked for about 30 minutes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Taud dudur (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Porcupine fish

Preparation: An open fire, and with a long stick thrust into the fish's mouth, it is overturned on top of the fire, roasted until its skin is completely black and the flesh is white throughout when skin is pierced. Afterwards its head is cut off and discarded. Next, a short stick with a flat end is used to remove the skin along with the bones. This is achieved by pushing the tip of the stick between the flesh and meat, separating them. The skin is discarded and the meat eaten.ⁱⁱ

iv. Surgeonfish, Unicornfish, Triggerfish and Boxfish(Hum, Burahareya, Peinging)

All species of fish that lie within these families and are found in the Southwest islands are usually are only prepared through roasting. Due to so many different species, only one example of each is shown in this entry. But this dish is done to all other species in the same families of fish.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Hum/ Burahareya/ Ruyoruya/ Peinging Dudur(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Preparation: These fish are exclusively roasted. An open fire is made, then left to burn until the fire is low and the embers are still glowing. These fish are laid flat on their flanks on top of the embers to roast, turning occasionally from one flank to the other occasionally until the tough skin is slightly charred, the meat inside has turned white and can be poked through easily with a sharpened stick.ⁱⁱ

v. Titan Triggerfish(Ruyoruya;Rhekoreh;Ruyoruya) and Yellowmargin Triggerfish (Malaharau; Bumarei ; Maleharau)

Name of Dish: N/A(Sons), Ruyoruya Dudur(Pulo Anna), Hamata Hawi(Tobi)

Ingredients: Triggerfish, salt, ajinomoto, chopped onions

Preparation: To prepare, it is gutted and all organs are discarded except the liver. A knife is inserted just above the operculum and at a point where the scales begin, being parallel to the spines of the fish and not crossing over to the other flank. The knife is plunged as far down towards the stomach as one can, then is traced along the spine, moving towards the tail. The same is done to the other flank. Next, then the stomach is split open at the center and the same flank is cut loose from the bone by cutting into the flesh within the stomach, tracing the lower fins of the fish from stomach to tail. The same is done for the other flank, cutting it free and whole from the bones and caudal fin base. On the meat surface of each flank, about five long, deep cuts are made along its length, with about the same number made perpendicular to those lines. The liver is then flaked with the hands and spread over the fish meat. Next, chopped onions, salt and ajinomoto are sprinkled on top of meat. An open fire is set, and once the fire it weakens and only the glowing embers and little smoke remain, the flanks are put, on the scale side, to the embers. Left until the fat -which exuded from the liver- boils.ⁱⁱ

Note: This triggerfish can also be roasted over fire in a similar way to surgeonfish, unicornfish and other triggerfish.ⁱⁱ Furthermore, in the past it was custom in Pulo Anna that children who haven't outgrown all their baby teeth should not eat triggerfish, as they might triggerfish teeth.^viii

vi. Flying Fish (Mangalu; Mangah; Mangalu)

This is a flying fish in island terms. It is eaten but occasionally throughout a year. There are times when they become abundant near the islands, and to harvest, there is a specific way of catching them. Dry coconut fronds are collected whole and the leaflets bound close to the midribs with string, not leaving them to fan out as they normally do. A special canoe built specifically for the harvesting of this fish is used. A crew of about four set out at nighttime on the canoe to fish slightly offshore. When ready, two men paddle the canoe while two others would light the fronds on fire, then brandish them over the ocean. The flying fish will be attracted to the light, and when nearing to the canoe, one or more of the men would have a hand-net to catch them in mid-flight or scoop from the sea. At times the fish themselves would just fly straight into the canoe themselves.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Mangalu Sol (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: flying fish, salt

Preparation: Prepared similarly to iikesol, but before salting, the fish's head is cut off, along with guts and all fins. Its meat is then sliced and separated from the fish's bone structure. The meat is then doused with salt, then prepared similarly to iikesol.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Mangalu Sol ri Hapare (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredient: flying fish, salt

Preparation: Head, fins, guts and bones removed similar to above. Meat is salted heavily, hung on hooks that are attached to a line tied to two trees or poles, or laid on top of woven coconut fronds, then placed under the sun for three days (taken in at night) to dry until no more moisture is present on the surface.

Note: Although in this way it is preserved, Southwest islanders usually eat them within a week after they have been prepared. ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Susun Mangah (Tobi)

Ingredients: flying fish

Preparation: The fish, being held at the tail, is barbecued over a fire only very briefly; the meat is preferred to be eaten rare.

Note: to supply the fire, only dried coconut inflorescense sheaths and the dried thing that holds the coconuts together.^xx

vii. Shark (Pahou; Pahou; Pahou)

Pahou is a general term for shark, and in the Southwest many species are present. In the past, shark was a totem animal for some clans in the islands, and was largely uneaten. In Pulo Anna and the other islands, certain species of sharks were excluded from consumption, and with that only pelagic sharks that are found far from the reef are eaten. Sharks had organs that were useful to the Southwest islanders in the past. Underneath the tough skin there is a fibrous membrane that was used as a string and as a snatch used to entangle the teeth of needlefish when employing a specialized kite used for its harvest. Its teeth are used to make knives, pierce ears, make a local drill for wood products, hand weapons, and the oil from its liver, contained in a giant clam shell, is utilized along with sennit rope to make a local lampⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Faangifeng eri Pahou (Sonsorol, Pulo Anna and Tobi)

Ingredients: Pahou

Preparation: The whole skin of the shark has to be removed first. To do so, its head is cut off completely and discarded, along with all fins A long cut is made at one flank of the shark(halfway from dorsal area to underside), from the point where head was cut all the way to the base of the cut fin. With a knife, a person diligently separates skin from meat by pulling on the skin while detaching the meat with the knife. From one flank, the skin and meat are separated, without any termination, until skin is completely removed whole. The stomach is slit open and all guts removed. The meat is cut into slices about 3 inches thick and 8 inches to 1½ feet long. The pieces are wrapped and tied using young fronds from a coconut sprout. The wrappings are then placed in an earthoven for 3 hours. Afterwards, the pieces are unwrapped, then placed in a local faangi to smoke for most of a whole day. Once meat are dry, they are placed in a basket, which is hung over a cooking area where they could be preserved by the smoke and heat.

Note: With Tobians, instead of making two horizontal lines on the flanks, they are made on the back and underside of the shark. Using a knife, a line is made on the back, running downwards to the base of the fin. One parallel to it is cut on the underside. Once done, one person is left to hold the fish's body while one holds the skin from the cut lines and pulls on it until it is completely removed. When done, both flanks of the shark are separated by cutting close to either side of the spinal cartilage from the dorsal area, running the knife all the way down to the back fin. Next, each flank was cut into several blocks, each about a foot in length; the cartilage was discarded. Each flab of meat is wrapped in a giant taro leaf and tied with string from a coconut midrib, then placed in an uumu for 4 hours. After being cooked, the pieces are unwrapped and dried on a faangi grill for the greater part of a day. For 2 more days, the amount of time and intensity of heat used is the same, but after that, for 3 more days the heat is less intense and the pieces are kept on the grill for a shorter time. In this way it is preserved, but after 3 weeks of containment in a basket, they must be unwrapped and reheated to prevent mold from spoiling them.ⁱⁱ

Furthermore, an alternative to parceling the meat into slabs in the beginning is to first cut off one whole flank of a shark, with or without the cartilage. Leaves are not placed in the earthoven, but instead, unheated rocks are placed upon the layer of hot rocks to control the intensity of the heat and also protect the shark meat from the lime that will form once all the heated rocks have fragmented slightly. The whole flank of the shark is then placed directly onto the rocks, then the earthoven is covered and left for 3 hours. Once cooked, they are then parceled similar to the manner noted above, smoked dry on a faangi, then placed into a basket to keep.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Pahou (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Pahou meat and liver, salt and ajinomoto (optional), onions (optional)

Preparation: Shark meat and liver are cooked separately. Afterwards, the meat is chopped into small pieces, then placed in a pot. The liver is then held over the chopped meat and fragmented into very small pieces with the hand, letting allowing them to drop onto the meat. Chopped onions, salt and ajinomoto may be added for taste. The mixture is heated in a pot, without water, for 10 minutes or when all the meat has turned brown or when fat from the liver starts to boil; stirred constantly to avoid charring at the bottom of pot. Lastly, the dish is removed from the heat when meat turns brown.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Farae reni roie ri Pahou (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Shark meat, oil and liver

Preparation: The liver of a shark is chopped into big chunks, then heated in a pot to boil without water to extract the oil. The particles of the liver that are left are sieved from the pot, then set aside. Shark meat is then chopped into small chunks, then mixed with the cooked liver particles. The mixture is then placed into a pot, and little of the shark oil is poured atop the meat and liver. The pot is taken to boil for 30 minutes or until meat turns brown throughout.ⁱⁱ

viii. Anchovy (Tiri;Tiri;Tiri)

These fish do not reside on the islands' reefs. They are migratory and there are about two known periods within a year when they could be caught.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tiri Uumu (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Anchovy

Preparation: This fish is collected using nets, placed in a special basket called, sukuri tiri, then cooked in an uumu for approximately four hours. They may also be cooked in a pot of water for 30 minutes. After cooking, the fish are then dried under the sun on top of banana leaves, woven coconut fronds or tin roofing until moisture is lost. Maybe eaten when desired. Natives in the past usually ate them along with grated coconut meat.ⁱⁱ

Note: The above method for preparing it is a preserve, but even then the fish is eaten within a week and not kept for a long time. Furthermore, when these fish are cooked, extra layers of leaves are placed atop the hot rocks to prevent the basket from burning.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tiri Yalung (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Anchovy, coconut milk

Preparation: A desired amount of tiri is placed in a pot, and diluted coconut milk is poured in until about an inch above the fish. Left to boil for 15 minutes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Tiri Kuk (Tobi)

Ingredients: Anchovy, coconut milk, water, seawater, kangkum, onions, garlic

Preparation: Tiri is put in a pot with chopped onions, kangkum, and garlic in desired ratios. Water, coconut milk and a small amount of seawater are poured on the fish until about 2 inches above them (about 3 inches or more if cooked in uumu). Cooked for about 30 minutes

Preservation: On Tobi, to preserve anchovies, they were wrapped in either single fronds from a young coconut sprout or giant taro leaves, with a desired addition of the fragrant leaves of chichi placed on the surface of either leaf first before placing anchovies on them. Bound securely, the wrappings are heated on a smoking grill, applying habwetchi to preserve. Heated the first day, it could be left alone tomorrow, then reheated the following day, then left for two days, then reheated the following day after, in a way similar to Sonsorolese when applying hafauure. However, for them, the maximum number of days they can be left unheated is five, whence it must be reheated.

Because these fish are often harvested in large amounts (due to their being favored by the islanders and their scarcity), preservation was often necessary. Usually the fish would be consumed completely within two months, although the fish could be preserved far longer.^xiv

ix. (Ringeilos; Ringeikoch; Ringeilos) and Sand Clam (;Ukerek;)

These two different species of shellfish are found in the Southwest islands. For the former, there are several varieties present, and only about two species are eaten among the islanders. Ringeilos could be found clinging to rocky substrates near the beach, and are present in large numbers during full moon, the time that they are collected. The latter, ukerek, is found only in Tobi and in incalculable numbers, and it buries itself on the sand within the tide mark on the beach. It could be collected at any time of year, and is prepared similarly to ringeilos.^xiv

Name of Dish: Ringeilos Yalung (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Ringeikoch Yanguh (Tobi)

Ingredients: Ringeilos, coconut milk, water, seawater

Preparation: This shellfish is collected, then placed in a pot filled with diluted coconut milk at even height or about an inch above the shellfish. Cooked for 30 minutes. Afterwards, the shellfish may be eaten by using the tip of a knife to poke the small extension of meat sticking out of the shell and pulling it out. The hard plate attached to the meat is thrown away.ⁱⁱ

On Tobi, preparation of this dish is slightly different. Once collected, they are placed in a wooden bowl that is filled with either water or seawater, but the latter is preferred. They are left overnight, and next day they would be found to have released sand. The shellfish are washed in the bowl, and later removed and the batch and sand are thrown away. The ringeikoch would then be placed back in the bowl, and a mixture of coconut milk, water and a small amount of seawater is poured into it until about 3 inches above the level of the shellfish. Placed in uumu, they are cooked for 4 hours. Tobian islanders prefer eating this dish with taro.^xiv

Note: In the past, instead of using knives, the natives of the islands used the midribs of coconut leaflets, called roho, to help remove meat.ⁱⁱ Furthermore, in Tobi this shellfish used to be cooked twice, first in plain water, then after removing the meat from the shells, they are placed in a pot of coconut milk, then cooked again.^xiv

Name of Dish: Hawachan(Tobi)

Ingredients: Sand clam, coconut milk, water, salt

Preparation: Once collected, they are prepared similarly to ringeikoch, but when cooking in uumu, instead of using seawater, plain waater is used, and only salt is used for flavoring, as the shellfish already has considerable saltiness.^xiv

x. Rimati, Tamarong, Perih e Hacho and Yohoyoh(English Names Unavailable)

These shellfish are abundant on Tobi's reefs, and are eaten regularly. With rimati, tamarong and yohoyoh, a harvest could take place anytime. With Perih e hacho, a harvest takes place at a period when the tide is, for a week, always fluctuates between the minimum and maximum tide marks.^xiv

Name of Dish: Chan Yanguh(Tobi)

Ingredients: Perih e Hacho/tamarong, coconut milk, seawater, onions

Preparation: Either shellfish is collected and put in a wooden bowl with water, then cooked for 3 hours in an earthoven. Next, they are removed from the oven and their shells are discarded along with the water; the meat is kept. Afterwards, coconut milk is poured is added to to the meat, along with water and a small amount of seawater to season; the liquid should be about 1 inch above the meat. Chopped onions and garlic could be added too. The bowl is then placed in an earthoven for 3 hrs.^xiv

Name of Dish: Susu ri Rimati/ Tamarong/ Yohoyoh (Tobi)

Ingredients: either or all three shellfish

Preparation: These three species of shellfish can be prepared as other dishes, but more commonly they are barbecued. Placed on the ground in a flat layer, a thick pile of dried coconut inflorescence sheaths and fronds are burned on top of the shellfish until the meat sticks out of the shells, then they are eaten as is.^xiv

xi. Spider Shell(;Mowai;) and Tiger Cowry(;Saahg;)

These two species of shellfish are found on all the Southwest Islands, but are eaten only in Tobi. When harvesting, natives are careful not to eat or be lacerated by their nail-like darts, as it contains powerful poisons that could kill a person.^xx

Name of dish: N/A (Tobi)

Ingredients: Spider shell and/or tiger cowry

Preparation: These two shells could be placed on an open fire to barbecue for several minutes until the meat is cooked or when the shells is black and sooty. The shell is later broken open with a heavy stick, the meat eaten and the intestines are discarded.^xx

xii. Sea Anemone

On Tobi island there are several species of edible sea anemonies that could be consumed. Usually they could be found clinging onto dead or living coral near the reef slopes in colors of green, brown, and blue and living in colonies. Only certain species of sea anemones fitting the above description are eaten on Tobi. It was said to be a favorite food for old people in the past. Presently, no one has clear knowledge of how it is eaten.^xx

Name of Dish:N/A(Tobi)

Ingredients: coconut milk, sea anemone

Preparation: After being collected, the sea anemone is placed in a coconut shell, then blended with coconut milk. The shell is mounted on three or four rocks that are close to or within an open fire. Left for several minutes.^xx

xiii. Giant Clams(Toha, Hiyeya;Toh;Toha )

On the islands there are several species of giant clams, and they are especially abundant on Helen's Reef. Giant clams were not commonly present in dishes in the past, and even its preservation was unknown. It was the Japanese, who when administering the islands before the war, taught the islanders of methods for its preservation.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Toha Yalung(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Yanguhu ri Toh(Tobi)

Ingredients: Coconut milk, giant clam

Preparation: The shell of the clam is discarded and the meat is placed in a pot with very little water and coconut milk. The water may be below the height of the clam. The pot is heated to boil for 30 minutes until the meat has shrunk considerably from exuding internal juices.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Toha Farae(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Farae ri Toh(Tobi)

Ingredients: Giant clam, coconut/ salad oil, soy sauce

Preparation: A pan is heated to boil, after which the giant clam is placed in (if it is small, it is placed whole, but if it is large, they are sliced into small pieces). Fried until meat turns a dark brown and is slightly softer.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Toha Faangifeng (Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Kim Faangifeng(Tobi)

Ingredients: Toha, seawater

Preparation: A whole clam is placed in a pot with a shallow level of seawater; about 3 inches. The pot is taken to boil, letting the clam cook for about 30 minutes to allow it to release a lot of fluid in its body and shrink. Afterwards, the hafaaure method of preservation is applied, the clams being smoked on a grill for most of a day, then are left on the grill to burn overnight, covered with a woven coconut frond to keep away insects. This process is repeated for 3 more days (causing the meat to shrink even further), then left for a day without smoking. The following day, smoking is continued, then again the clams are left for 2 days. This trend is continued, extending the number of days between each smoking incrementally by a day for almost for a maximum span of a month, where by the end they would start to become undesirable.

Note: this method of preparing giant clams is not traditionally of the islands, but was introduced by the Japanese. Prior to World War II, the Japanese exploited the resources of Helen's Reef, especially the clams and fish. They would recruit the islanders to help retrieve clams and smoke them, and this skill they kept after the war. There are not many clams on the other islands, but when they were harvested and intended to be preserved, this method was applied.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: N/A (Tobi)

Ingredients: clams, especially Pasung and Kim iran hangingi

Preparation: A strong, open fire is made, and the clams are thrown into it, with their shells intact. When shells are opened slightly, they are removed and eaten, preferably with cooked giant taro.^xx

Note: This dish was commonly eaten in the past by Tobian women.^xx

xix. Squid & Cuttlefish

These two mollusks are seldom eaten in the islands due to their rarity in their reefs. Occasionally they would be found offshore.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Ngito dudur (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Squid or cuttlefish

Preparation: An open fire is made and fire left to burn until embers are largely burnt and only glowing embers and little smoke is left. Either mollusk is pierced through the mouth with a long, sharpened stick, then overturned above the fire until meat has a brown or reddish color.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Ngito Kuk (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: salt, squid and/or cuttlefish

Preparation: Either mollusk is placed in a pot with water and a touch of salt. Level of water is slightly below level of mollusk. Cooked until they attain a grayish or brown color.ⁱⁱ

xx. Spiny Lobster(Ul;Ukamaar;Ul) and Slipper Lobster(Urusap;Ukufaifir;Urusap)

Name of dish: Ul Kuk(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Lobster, salt and ajinomoto

Preparation: Either species of lobster is placed in a pot with water slightly beneath level of the lobster. Salt and ajinomoto are added, then the pot taken to boil until shells are red.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Ul Dudur(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Lobster

Preparation: Lobster is placed directly on an open fire, occasionally overturned from side to side while roasting until red. Washed clean in saltwater, then eaten.ⁱⁱ

xxi. Seaweed(Not available;Chimorinnom; Not Available)

Chimorinnom is a certain species of seawed that is consumed only in Tobi. It could be found on the reef flats of the island and are very abundant. In the past, it was not a major part of the islander's diet, but was eaten regularly by children during low tide when they would play at the flats. To consume, all the roots and leaves of the seaweed were removed, and the mildly salty main stem of the plant was eaten.^xxiv

B. Birds

On the islands, a few species of birds are eaten, namely Les, Habang, Bwirih, Warih, Hataf, Keiwangao, Hayang and Daiwadao. But among these, the species called habang is most preferred over the rest. The other birds are prepared very much like it, except warih, a species of bat. Thus we will present only the ways to prepare the habang and warih to avoid redundancy.

i. Red-Footed Booby(Habang;Habang;Habang)

This is a bird that is presently abundant in the islands, especially on Helen Reef and Fanna island. Traditionally they were non-existent in the islands, but due to over-harvesting with the use of guns in Southeast Asia, many migrated to the Southwest Islands, appearing several years before World War II.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Habang Dudur(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Susun Habang(Tobi)

Ingredients: Habang

Preparation: A stick of medium length is inserted into the mouth of the bird. Held several inches over a fire, the bird is overturned until all feathers are burnt, then removing briefly from the fire , a knife is run against the feathers to remove them. Next, the neck is cut off, and with the knife, a straight laceration is made, starting from the severed part of the neck, down the bird's back and on to its tail, which is cut. A similar line is made, from down the bottom side of the neck, between the breasts and towards the groin area. By making these two lines, the skin is stripped and discarded and meat is left exposed. The bird is placed over the fire again to be barbecued until meat is thoroughly cooked.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Habang Lawa

Ingredients: Habang, coconut milk, onions, salt

Preparation: The bird is plucked of its feathers, gutted and its wings and head are cut off and discarded. First, the neck is cut free from the base, then with the knife inserted through one flank, the bird's upper body is split in half, separating the breasts from the back. Next, the upper body is split in half, splitting the two halves into four meat pieces, then cut free from the lower body. The lower body is cut into two pieces, splitting it in half between the thighs. These meat pieces are placed in a pot of water to boil for only a few minutes. Afterwards, the water is thrown away, then replaced with coconut milk. Onions are diced and added to the mixture along with a desired amount of salt The pot is heated, and the dish is left to boil for about 30 minutes.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Habang Faangifeng(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), (Faangir Habang)

Preparation: To smoke, the bird must be removed of feathers and its skin cut away completely from the meat. The wings and the head are cut off, leaving the neck behind. Next, it is gutted of all intestines and boiled whole in a pot of seawater for about 10 minutes, just to scald. When done, the bird is placed on a smoking grill and smoked for most of the day, approximately 8 hours. On the next day it is smoked again, but one spends a shorter amount of time smoking it.ⁱⁱ

Preservation: After the second day of smoking, it is left alone the next day, then smoked the following day, applying the method of hafaaure until a full week passes. By then it should be consumed, for afterwards the meat would be undesirable.

Note: Sonsorol natives still living in the islands usually prepare this dish two days before a chartered ship arrives from Palau, allowing them to be sufficiently smoked so they could last during the trip and be sent to their relatives in the mainland.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Habang Tuhief(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna)

Ingredients: Habang

Preparation: To prepare the bird, it is removed of feathers and placed parallel on top of a pandanus leaf, parallel to it. The ends of the leaf are folded directly over the bird, the folded lengths cut short so they could accommodate each other. The sides of the leaf are then sewn together with coconut leaflet midribs, called roho, to enclose the bird. If the bird is too big or the leaf is not wide enough so that they could be easily sewn together, another pohuae leaf is placed flat on a clean surface, and the wrapped bird placed perpendicularly on top of it. The ends of the leaf are cut short, just enough so that when they are folded directly above the bird, another roho could be sewn through to hold them together. An open fire is made, and when fire subsides substantially, but still strong, a layer of sisi leaves are placed directly on top of the fire. The wrapped bird or fish is then placed on top of the leaves, then sisi leaves placed over the wrapping. A pot is overturned and used to cover the meat completely to contain heat. It is then left for two hours. This method was applied on all the presently inhabited islands.

Note: For Tobi natives, there are two ways of preparing tukief. When the pohuae leaf is placed underneath the bird, parallel to its body, its sides are folded upwards over the neck and the loins of the bird. The opposite ends of the leaves, shortened to accommodate each other, are folded over the bird, then tied with string from the skin of a coconut midrib, in any manner necessary to hold the wrapping. Furthermore, the islanders use the young, tender leaves of huruhur and the leaves and flowers of warong, and a single leaf of the reng plant. Having gutted a bird and cleaning its now-empty abdomen, the leaves of these plants are stuffed into it before being wrapped. The reng leaf, instead of being placed in the abdomen, is laid flat underneath the wrapping, left whole without cutting into small strips. These leaves are fragrant, and help improve the food's scent. The second way employs the same method of wrapping. However, instead of using an open fire, an earthoven is made. Rocks are heated in the pit, then covered with only a few layers of either giant taro or pandanus leaves or both. The wrapping(s) is placed on top them, followed by a thick covering of husks from still-green coconuts, which provide moisture and help retain the taste of the meat. The pit is left uncovered to bake the bird for about 3-4 hours.^xxv Furthermore, Tobians prefer to use only koko to be prepared as tuhief.^xx

For the third method, an open fire is prepared and allowed to burn low. Next, a matting of pandanus leaves, called erer, is placed on top of the embers, then chichi ferns are placed on top of them in several layers until when one places his hand on the ferns, little heat is felt. The fish or bird that is intended to be cooked is placed on the leaves, unwrapped, then are covered with chichi ferns. Still-green coconut husk are laid atop the ferns on all corners, placing them on the husk side and in appropriate numbers so that little smoke could come out. The heap is then left for 2 hours, uncovered, the fish or bird is overturned, then left for 1 more hour or more.^xxiv

Moreover, there are several plant leaves that Tobians use as alternatives to pandanus leaves if it is not available, namely Bird's Nest Fern, giant taro leaves, and the young fronds from a coconut sprout. However, pandanus leaves are preferred over all of them as they are very tough.

With Pulo Anna natives, the leaves preferred for this dish are banana, especially the young, sprouting leaves. Heated only a few moments over a small fire, a knife is used to remove and discard the midrib. With the bird, one length of the leaves was laid flat, and a fish was placed parallel to it, then its opposite ends brought to fold over the bird. Lastly, several more banana leaves were wrapped around the fish (perpendicular to the first wrapping) in a relatively thick layer, then it was placed on an open fire. The same leaves that were used to give scent are used in Pulo Anna too.^viii

Name of Dish: Habang Farae(Sonsorol and Pulo Anna), Farae ri Habang(Tobi)

Ingredients: Habang, salad or coconut oil, seawater

Preparation: Its feathers are plucked out and its neck was discarded along with all of its skin. Next, the meat is parceled similar to habang kuk, then dropped in a pot of seawater and heated to boil, scalding the meat for several minutes. Later, a pan of salad or coconut oil is heated, and once it boils, the meat is placed in and fried until it is cooked throughout and brown in color.ⁱⁱ

ii. Bat(Warih;Warih;Warih)

Warih is a species of bat that resides on mainland Palau and the islands of Tobi, Fanna Sonsorol and Merir in the Southwest Islands. In the far past they were not present only on Sonsorol, then as time passed, natives brought pairs to Tobi and Merir, and now there are healthy numbers of bats on those islands.^xxi There are none residing in Pulo Anna and Helen. In earlier days they were loathed for pestering the toddy bottles hung on coconut trees, and were more commonly killed than eaten. Now the islanders have adopted the Palauan method of cooking bats, and use it when they are harvested.^xiv

Name of Dish: Warih Kuk (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Warih, salt, water

Preparation: The bats have their wings folded over their chests, then bound at the center of their bodies with string to keep the wings folded. Placed in a pot, completely submerged with water at a highly level, close to the brim of the pot, it is seasoned with salt, then cooked for about 2 hours until the meat is soft.ⁱⁱ

Name of Dish: Warih Tuhief (Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Bat

Preparation: to prepare, its skin must first be removed. A small slit is made on the skin at the base of the neck, at its back and across the small shoulder plates. Next, the tip of a papaya leaf stem is inserted into the cut (between the skin and fat), then blown from one end using one's own breath. The skin of the bat will appear to expand like a balloon, and once all areas of the skin are detached from the fat, the stem is removed and the head is cut off. Afterwards, another cut is made, starting from the slit and along the spine, all the way down between the hind claws. From this cut, the skin is peeled sideways and towards the flanks. Once it reaches that point, the skin surrounding the bones at the base of the wings are cut, including the bone. The thin membrane that compose the wings are not cut. The hind feet are cut off by the joint and discarded.

Next, the skin is peeled downwards across the chest and abdomen, starting from the shoulders. Once the skin is between the hind feet, the genitals are cut off, then the skin peeled off completely with the attached wings attached to it. The intestines are left in its belly, and the bat is then placed in a small section of pohuae leaf, bound, then put over an open fire until the meat is cooked, attaining a grayish-green color. To eat, the meat, along with the intestines and any dung were eaten.^xxi

Name of Dish: Warih Dudur(Sonsorol)

Ingredients: Bat

Preparation: To barbecue, the skin was left on, but the wings were chopped off. They were placed whole on a fire and left to burn until the meat is cooked, attaining a grayish-green color^xxi