umu

Today is Saturday, and we've spent the better part of 2 days preparing for an umu. An umu is an oven built above ground. We pick buckets full of small rocks, and build a big, hot fire over them. This burns down, and gets cleaned off, and then food is piled on and covered with banana and giant taro leaves and left for 1 1/2 - 2 hours to cook. The food is out of this world, I am still full. I may be full for several days.

Here is a step-by-step of the umu. Next time, I'll show you all the food preparation!

All the materials for the fire.

Here is the pile, fire just lit. This burns all the way down before the food goes on.


The hot rocks. The timbers are removed and hosed down, and the rocks are spread out a bit. Left to right: Siaki, Vai and Adam.


Bananas and breadfruit go on first. (Siaki's hands)


Kicking it up a notch with a giant turkey and some chickens wrapped in foil.


Finally, banana and giant taro leaves go on top in alternating layers. and some cardboard thrown on top of all that for good measure. It cooks for an hour and a half or so.


It's done, and now for the unwrapping:


And, the food. These bananas are the best I've ever tasted. They are not sweet/ripe, they are more like potatoes.


Alright. Tomorrow, I will tell you about the food prep. Time to go make some leftovers.