Mumu
Practical Action
the food is prepared with coconut cream and wrapped in banana leaves. The banana leaves are
usually conditioned over the fire that heats the stones. The charcoal is removed from the heated
stones and the wrapped food is placed on some of the hot stones. The remaining stones are then
placed onto the wrapped food before being covered with more banana leaves and jute bags (sand and
earth are not used as a covering for the mumu). The mumu is usually left for about four hours with
the temperature around the food as high as 250°C. All the foods are cooked together with baking
being the predominant method of cooking because steaming is limited to the moisture in the leaves
and foods.
Food
Copra sack
Banana Leaves
Hot stones
Pit
Figure 2: Alotau
A similar type of mumu was observed in the Western Province (Daru) but no pit was dug and tree
barks were used to cover the mu mu instead of banana leaves.
Alotau
The provincial headquarters of Milne Bay Province is located in Alotau. The mumu found here is
called dry mumu because even though the foods are wrapped and cooked together, coconut cream is
not normally used. A pit is dug and when the stones are heated, the charcoal is left amongst them.
The food is wrapped in the same way as the Rabaul type of mumu and put onto the hot stones. More
hot stones are placed on the food and more leaves are used to cover it. The dug earth is then used to
complete the covering and retain the heat within the mumu. Smouldering fire-wood is placed on the
earth cover to keep the top layer hot.
The additional heat transfer from the top ensures that a high temperature (more than 200°C) is
maintained in the mumu throughout the duration of cooking. This relatively constant high
temperature is needed to ensure that the food is properly cooked in view of the limited moisture
content because of the lack of coconut cream. As with the Rabaul type of mumu, baking is the
predominant process used.
Mount Hagen
In Mount Hagen, in the Western Highlands
Province, a typical mumu is made from a
relatively deep pit which is conical in shape
and has its bottom and sides lined with
banana leaves. The stones are heated on the
ground away from the pit before they are put
into it. Foods are transferred separately into
the pit and the hot stones are put directly in
with the food. In this type of mumu, no
coconut cream is used, no water is poured
onto the hot stones and food segments are not
wrapped in banana leaves. Instead, when all
the foods have been put into the pit, the
protruding leaves from the sides of it are used
in the final food wrapping. Grasses and additional
Water onto hot stones
Earth cover
Hot stones
Water contener
Banana leaves
Food
Pit
Supports
Figure 3: Mount Hagen
2