Cooking up a mumu for APEC
leaders and foreign dignitaries attending APEC in Port Moresby will dine on a range of traditional Papua New Guinean foods, including mud crabs, organically farmed beef and hand-caught Spanish mackerel.
The food, cooked in a three- metre earth oven, styled like a traditional mumu, will be served to hundreds of dignitaries from 21 countries at the recently opened Hilton Hotel at the new Star Mountain Plaza.
Around 50 local chefs and 100 wait staff will work around the
to prepare and serve meals under the direction of Hilton executive chef Paul Brown.
Brown says he will be taking his culinary inspiration from traditional Papua New Guinean food preparation, but adding his own modern twist.
Sago, cassava, yams and sweet potato ( kaukau) are just some of the local staples he will be utilising along with coconut cream, clay pots and a mumu to bring out the flavours.
Brown says the area is fortunate to have an abundance of wild greens ( kumu), including watercress, pumpkin shoots, aibika, pak choy, bok choy, kangkung and taro leaf.
This produce, along with chicken, prawns and other food, will be sourced from local suppliers, with a limit on any imports to keep the cuisine authentic but also to support the local economy.
See starmountainplaza.com. ■