Sago from
Metroxylon sagu Rottb. is a staple and important supplementary food in lowland areas of Papua New Guinea, such as the Sepik River basin on the northern coast and the Fly River delta on the south. The sago palm plays important roles in many aspects of social life, such as for house construction material and starch in gift rituals. This paper describes how sago is utilized as a staple food in Sowom village in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, and shows that sago is related to various aspects of their life. The authors visited the village in 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001 and, 2004, and one of the authors stayed in the village for 6 months in 1999. During these visits, research was conducted through participant observation and intensive interviews in Sowom village to investigate the utilization patterns of sago for food. Research focused on folk classification of sago, starch extraction, cooking methods, dietary habits, storage techniques and so on. The research findings are as follows. 1) Sago is classified into 7 different types, including the division of those with and without spines. 2) The processes of extracting starch are allocated by gender as a rule. Usually, the processes from selecting the palm to crushing the pith are conducted by men; the succeeding processes are done by women. 3) Sago is eaten almost daily, mostly in the form of sago jelly, and it is regarded by the local people as their main food. 4) Cooking sago jelly is done only by women. 5) Sago starch can be stored for several months if stored properly. 6) Sago plays important roles in various aspects of Sowom’s social life, such as being a part of the bride price, the symbol of typical food.
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