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1.1 What are
favorite local dishes?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Taro, banana, breadfruit, and yam were
steamed/baked and included in dishes such as fa?alifu
talo/fa?i/ulu/ufi (green taro/banana/breadfruit/yam
cooked with coconut milk and chopped onions), taufolo
(baked breadfruit cut into pieces, placed in a tanoa
[traditional Samoan bowl], and mixed with melted sugar and
coconut milk), tunu'ulu (baked breadfruit served
with coconut milk as a dipping sauce), and oloolo (baked,
grated green and ripe bananas with coconut milk)
- Palusami (baked coconut cream,
onions, and corned beef wrapped in leaves), sua i?a/vaisu
(fish cooked/baked with coconut milk), faiai fe?e
(octopus cooked with coconut cream), afi i?a (baked
fish wrapped in leaves), oka (raw fish with coconut
cream, lemon juice, and onions), and various seafood
- Breakfast dishes vaisalo (grated
coconut soup), supo esi (papaya pudding), araisa
faapopo (cooked rice with coconut cream), koko Samoa
(locally-grown cocoa for tea), and sofesofe
(ripe bananas steamed in coconut cream)
- Other favorites included locally-grown
fruits (papaya, mango, sugar cane, pineapple, guava, etc.)
and various dishes made with locally-grown vegetables
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Pounded breadfruit, preserved breadfruit,
taro, pounded taro, sweet taro, banana, and tapioca
- Fish, sea clams,
sea cucumber, pig, and chicken
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- Rice, bread, potatoes
- Frozen meats
- Traditional food and meat used as main
dishes
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Taro, yam, tapioca, breadfruit, titiyas
mais (corn tortillas), elotes (corn soup), charakiles
(cream of rice soup), alaguan (rice porridge),
biringenas (eggplants), and finadenne (spicy
sauce made of chili peppers, local onion, vinegar, or lemon)
- Bistek (beef steak), kelaguen
manok/binadu/guihan/katne (chicken/venison/fish/beef
and grated coconut), estufao (chicken stewed with
tomatoes and onions), tininu guihan (grilled fish),
and tinala katne/guihan (dried beef/fish)
- Saibok (bananas steeped in coconut
milk), lantiyas (custard and sponge cake dessert
with cinnamon), pastit (papaya turnover), potu
(steamed rice cake), bibinka (fried rice cake),
and bukayo (coconut candy)
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Taro, yam, breadfruit, rice, tortillas,
and assorted root crops and vegetables
- Fruitbat and various seafood including
fish, shrimp, eel, catfish, and coconut crab
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- Same as traditional plus poultry, pork,
and beef
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Kosraean soup
- Furoh (fermented breadfruit
dish), fafa (pounded soft taro topped with syrup
or coconut cream), ainpat (local starches such as
taro, banana, breads, and yams cut into smaller pieces and
cooked with sweetened coconut cream), fried bananas (tempura-style),
and coconut
- Fish and other seafood
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- Rice
- Imported meat and canned food
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Brak (giant dry yellow taro),
kukau (purple taro), meduu (breadfruit), tuu
(banana), keam (giant chestnut), and telngot
(yam)
- Ngikel (fish), uel (turtle),
kim (giant clam), cherabrukl (lobster), chemang
(large sea/mangrove crab), rekung (small land
crab), ketat (coconut crab), rrull (stingray
or rayfish), mesekiu (dugong), babii (pork),
belochel (pigeon), malk (chicken), and olik
(bat)
- Tropical almond nuts, arrowroot starch,
coconut candy, elang (young taro stems boiled, peeled,
and mixed with sugar and coconut milk), kleu (tender
layer of young coconut that would later become tough meat
inside coconut shell), and merekou (starch
from football fruit cooked with coconut milk and sweetened
with Palauan syrup or sugar)
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- Vegetables and salad
- Same as traditional favorites, as well
as rice, tapioca, sweet potato, hot dog, cheese, other dairy
products, titimel (sweetened round tapioca balls),
cake and other baked goods/pastries, fruit salad, and ice
cream
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Breadfruit dishes maikol (ripened,
ground, oven-baked breadfruit) and lihli (half-ripened
breadfruit barbecued and pounded) and yams
- Mwahmw wet (sashimi), mwahmw
inihn (barbecued fish), pork, and dog meat
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- Rice, flour, and other
carbohydrates
- Various canned goods (mackerel, corned
beef, etc.)
- Pihlohlo (grated tapioca mixed
with pounded ripened banana and baked overnight)
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Breadfruit, preserved breadfruit, coconut,
banana, pandanus, and taro
- Poultry and fish
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- Oriental, American, and Filipino foods
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Breadfruit, tapioca, sweet potato,
chestnuts (ground and wrapped), taro stems boiled with coconut
milk, coconut candy/syrup, and different varieties of taro,
yam, and banana
- Favorite meat dishes included pork,
local chicken, fish (raw, fried, roasted, dried, salted),
different varieties of clams, turtle and turtle eggs, crab
(mangrove, land, coconut), and lobster
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1.2 What foods are
eaten from other countries or Pacific islands?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
| |
- Mostly American/Chinese/other dishes
(eaten in many states, neighboring islands, countries)
- Other foods include yams, bananas,
breadfruit chips, biscuits, and tuna fish
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Chuuk
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Valenciana (red rice)
- Pork, octopus, and eskabeche (fried
fish with vegetables and vinegar)
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- American fast foods such as cheeseburgers,
tacos, and pizza
- Asian foods (sukiyaki, soba, lumpia,
and various Chinese dishes)
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Taro, breadfruit, rice, yam, banana,
and papaya
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- U.S.-imported fruits and vegetables
- Meats such as roast pork, venison,
and beef
- American fast foods such as sandwiches,
pizza, and tacos; Filipino foods such as lumpia and pancit
(noodles)
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Banana from Fiji, Taiwan, Pohnpei
- Taro from Pingelap, Saipan, Mokil,
Hawaii
- Tapioca from Fiji, Palau, Pohnpei
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- Betel nuts, sushi, and pihlohlo
(grated tapioca mixed with pounded ripened banana and
baked overnight)
- Tuna jerky, canned food, imported meat,
and macadamia nuts
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
| |
- Bread, rice, cereal, doughnuts and
other pastries, and pasta (Italian and Asian)
- Pizza, beef, and sandwiches
- Coffee, tea, milk, soda, juice, and
other sweetened drinks
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Utin Yap/Guam/Taiwan/Fiji (bananas
from Yap, Guam, Taiwan, Fiji)
- Mein Nihuwe (breadfruit from
Niue)
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- Fried freshwater eel from Kosrae/Orient/CNMI
- Boiled stingray fish from Palau
- Kon (pounded breadfruit) from
Chuuk
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
| |
- Yams, taro, and sweet potatoes
- Hawaiian bananas, mangoes, and oranges
- Pihlohlo (grated tapioca mixed
with pounded ripened banana and baked overnight)
- American fast foods such as cheeseburgers,
pizza, french fries, and hotdogs with buns
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Different kinds of sweet potatoes and
land taro
- Various yams from Pohnpei
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- Items bought in stores, such as canned
goods
- American foods such as hamburgers,
pizza, spaghetti, macaroni salad, sushi, and sashimi
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1.3 What are the taboos
associated with food?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Only chiefs of high ranks could eat
certain fish and parts of meat (pork)
- Most foods were eaten freely
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Eating food with or left over from
people such as itang/sourong (magician) would
lead to illness or death if immediate medical attention
was not received
- Certain types of food/meat were forbidden
to believers in other ghosts or God of their clans
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- Same as traditional
- Used for love magic
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Pregnant women and nursing mothers
avoided spicy, hot food (baby?s face would develop rash)
and octopus/squid (baby would be bald)
- Anyone who had an operation avoided
eggplant/octopus/fish (wound would worsen)
- Eating too much watermelon would cause
headaches
- Harvested fish were shared (not sold)
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- Same as traditional (except harvested
fish are sold)
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Eating stolen foods (fresh or canned)
caused bloating
- Food should not be wasted
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- Same as traditional
- No one can capture or eat endangered
animals
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Some clans or families were forbidden
to eat certain foods
- Best crops and catches were given to
king and chiefs
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- Fafa (soft taro) pounders should
not change baby?s diapers, dig graves, or clean toilet facilities
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Certain clans/villages revered some
creatures (barracudas, sharks, freshwater eels) as their
totem; totem could not be eaten
- Other clans/villages would not eat
a particular part of certain animals (e.g., head of pigeon)
- Ochaieu deity (to Palauans of
Ngchesar village): Ochaieu manifested itself as a
bird or diamond-shaped rayfish; both manifestations were
distinguished by their white underbellies and black tops;
no one could kill, eat, or bother either form; doing so
resulted in death by unexplained causes or freak accidents
- Women who gave birth (or were going
through post-birth cleansing ritual) could not eat seafood
or any food with pungent odor
- Children were reprimanded for singing
while eating
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Bad luck
- Engisou eating food that was
still hot before going fishing, planting yams, or farming
caused fish to be afraid, yam diseases, and unproductive
farms
- Eating in farm land invites insects
to destroy farm
- Eating rat/bird-eaten food caused eye
muscle contraction/movement
- Eating bird before fishing causes birds
to fly over school of fish, chasing them away
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- In lihli (half-ripened breadfruit
barbecued and pounded) preparation, the pounder must be
very healthy and clean (two helpers stand on each side of
the pounder, fanning him and wiping away his perspiration);
the pounder must not touch anything else while pounding
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Some families did not eat turtle meat
- Certain foods were not eaten by sick
people, depending on illness
- Breastfeeding women did not eat raw
fish
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- Same as traditional
- Most foods are eaten freely
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Certain fishing was done during certain
seasons
- Women were not allowed to consume certain
fish or shellfish
- Certain kinds of fish were reserved
only for chiefs and not eaten when taking local medicines
- First catch of any seasonal fishing
was given to chiefs or women of community
- Some fish were labeled with the social
status of each community; fish at the bottom of society
were considered unfit for consumption
- In some communities a turtle was slaughtered
only by the person who was traditionally designated to slaughter
it
- Certain parts of a turtle were distributed
to designated families
- Times were designated for planting
and harvesting certain crops
- Certain taro patches/gardens were designated
for eldest male in family (usually grandfather)
- First harvest of any staple food (breadfruit,
bananas, apples) was reserved for chief or prepared for
men of community
- Practices varied from community to
community
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- Same as traditional, though some taboos
are no longer observed
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1.4 What are the practices
and beliefs about food giving, preparation, and handling?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Baskets of cooked foods containing
taro, fish, and palusami (baked coconut cream, onions,
and corned beef wrapped in leaves) were prepared by each
family in the village and given to guests
- Similar food basket was presented on
the last day that guests were in the village (talimalo)
- Ceremonial drinks of kava were
prepared according to formal traditions
- Food trays were served to help family
hosting guests
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Angaang chik aramas: ?If you
have more people to do a job, the job will be done easily
and efficiently?
- Belief in sharing and teamwork
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Eating food left over from a pregnant
woman made you sleepy
- Meals were always given or prepared
for visitors
- Families helped by making all parties
potlucks; accepted as gift or chenchule (favor to
be returned)
- Families and friends arrived early
to prepare for parties
- Largest part of beef/pork leg (animal
slaughtered for last day of event) was given to the rosary/novena
orator
- At parties, food must be blessed before
eating
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- Same as traditional
- Balutan (wrapping food to take
home)
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Best crops/animals were given to the
village chief
- Vegetables/animals were given or exchanged
for other foods (fishing villages traded with farming/hunting
villages)
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- Various preservation methods such as
sun-drying, salting, and smoking are used for meats and
fish
- Give foods in large amounts
- Always offer whatever you have, even
if it?s all you have left
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- King always received the best
- Sharing and cleanliness were encouraged
- ?Say it with food? at weddings, funerals,
birthdays, homecoming/departing from home
- Men harvested food (men and women fished),
women cooked
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Preparation/handling of food must be
neat, clean, and sanitary (ugly-looking food entailed rotten
food)
- Presentation, taste, and amount of
food sometimes represented a person?s worthiness, reliability,
and honor
- Guests received the best food
- Males usually prepared, gutted, and
handled fish; females usually cooked fish and taro and prepared
starchy foods like tapioca
- Males or chiefs were served first
- Head of pig was given to chief
- In traditional Palauan marriages, the
bride?s family prepared and delivered food to the groom?s
family; in return, the groom?s family gave money to the
bride?s money
- Within a few days of burials (depending
on stature of deceased), special food was prepared, cooked,
and brought to family home (where mourners gathered); food
was presented during the early morning (sometimes between
4-5 a.m.), representing food for the dead to ease their
passing into the next world; later, the food was consumed
by the mourners
- For invitations to meals, the person
invited would initially respectfully decline (even if he/she
was starving) to demonstrate knowledge of proper dinner
etiquette; the inviter generally understood that the person
was hungry and insisted until the invitation was accepted
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- Same as traditional
- For special occasions (funerals, house
parties, other big ceremonies), men take part in preparing
and handling food
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Lapw Kopwou (proverb) literally
?untie the basket of food?; act of welcoming people to your
home
- Say ?Kalahngan? (thank you) after receiving
something
- Food preparation was a valuable learning
process and experience children should participate
- Giving food to others was an honor
and should be handled with respect
- Food was placed in certain way in kiam
(special basket) to symbolize respect; contents of the
basket were removed in a certain order
- Sakau was also prepared and
given to complete honorary act
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Baskets of cooked food (fish, local
chicken, pigs, breadfruit, pandanus, taro, and coconut)
were prepared by community and given to guests
- Only a few alabs (class of landowner)
knew the special way to present food to chiefs
- Females did all the cooking
- Chiefs, guests, and males were served
first
- Families provided potlucks for all
occasions
- In big celebrations, men took part
in handling, preparing, and serving food
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Food preparation, presentation, and
handling differed between communities and occasions
- Hands were always washed when cooking/preparing
food for the eldest male in the family
- For a large gathering, food was usually
prepared by everyone in community
- Food for chiefs and elders was separated
first
- In some communities, a certain family
or clan was responsible for distributing food
- Food could be divided to family/clan
based on an existing formula; in other cases, people simply
ate together (females were expected to serve food in such
gatherings)
- Family meal was usually prepared by
female members
- Customary to invite passersby to share
meal with the family
- Wording of an invitation was carefully
selected: some made a direct and almost demanding statement;
others used phrases such as ?Don?t you want to come and
eat?? (which allowed the invitee a choice) both were appropriate
depending on the setting, invitee, and community
- For funerals, wife?s family donated
taro and husband?s family donated fish
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- Same as traditional
- People eat and socialize together at
formal and informal gatherings
- For funerals, wife?s family donates
rice and husband?s family donates canned meat/fish
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1.5 What are the rules
associated with meals within the family?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Older people or head of family were
served first, then very young children, and then young adults
and teenagers
- Some families served their chiefs first,
then the rest of family together
- Children and teenagers were served
first only on ?White Sunday?
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- Same as traditional
- Various changes to and flexibilities
of traditional rules depend on individual family
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Che-pew (giving people food
without using leaves as plates) was unacceptable or unallowable
- Talking while eating was culturally
unacceptable
- Males were served first
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- Same as traditional
- People pray and wash hands before meals
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Children were fed first
- Food was finished before drinking
- Family members ate together; if family
members were missing, their meals were set aside
- No talking while eating (eating was
like praying)
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Guests were invited to eat first, then
elders and children
- Everyone had to take what was to be
eaten (eat what was served)
- Each member had a role in harvesting,
preparation, etc.
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- If you are invited to eat first, it
is not customary to proceed instantly and begin serving
yourself; instead, wait several minutes, talk a bit, and
only begin serving yourself after you?ve been frequently
asked to do so
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Females must lower themselves when
passing in front of males
- Children were fed first
- Husbands were usually given bigger
servings
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- Children and elders are served first
- Husbands and wives eat together
- Sometimes women eat last
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Guidelines for placement of food in
front of person during mealtime were significant: odoim
(protein) to the left fish belly facing person; ongraol
(starch) to the right
- Talking and singing were not allowed
when eating
- Children must eat what is given to
them and sit in designated area of kitchen
- Everyone must sit properly and respectfully
(no furniture, so everyone ate on the floor) and wash hands
before meals (all food was eaten with fingers)
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- Same as traditional
- Gradually changing as families are
beginning to use chairs, dining tables, and utensils
- Western customs apply at present
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Father was served first, then children,
then mother (regular mealtimes)
- Meals for the sick were prepared separately
and served first
- Silence at regular mealtimes
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- Children are served first, then father
and mother
- People eat three meals a day and wash
their hands before and after meals
- Noise is okay at regular mealtimes
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Older people, head of house, and very
young children were served first
- Talking was not allowed when eating
- Food was blessed before eating
|
- Same as traditional
- Washing of hands and feet is required
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Meals were prepared by mother and other
female members
- Food was usually separated for elder
male members, anyone ill, and the elderly
- Meals were eaten anytime people felt
hungry
- People were expected not to talk while
eating
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- Some males cook (especially meat and
fish)
- Food preparation/cooking for all members
is done in the same kitchen
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1.6 What foods/dishes
are related to good health?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Cooked banana was considered better
than taro, yam, or breadfruits because of starch
- Locally-grown vegetable dishes
- Fish (especially fresh fish) and palusami
(baked coconut cream, onions, and corned beef wrapped
in leaves)
- Vaisalo (coconut soup) and supo
esi (papaya pudding) suggested for snacks
|
- Same as traditional
- Modern healthy foods and snacks
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Food available in local environment,
including pounded taro and breadfruit
- Banana with coconut oil, fish/meat,
and other sea meats
|
- Same as traditional
- Food recommended by nutrition and health
services
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Alaguan (water with rice) and
atuli (gab gab with water)
- Raw egg over hot rice or mixed in milk
- Manha (young green coconut juice)
and guava for diarrhea
- Ripe papaya to treat constipation
- Fresh-squeezed lemonade sweetened with
honey to ease sore throat
|
- Same as traditional
- Orange juice and vitamin C pills
- Food recommended to be nutritionally
and dietetically beneficial
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Various herbal and animal extracts
- Green leafy vegetables, seaweed, bittermelon,
banana, yam, and taro
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- Herbal drinks (Noni), root drinks,
and bitter green tea
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Coconut
- Pandanus and sugarcane natural brushes
for teeth
- Special ?soup? for diarrhea
|
- Balanced meal of mainly local food
with coconut or plain water to drink
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Dishes such as demok (soup made
of young taro leaves boiled in coconut milk) and elang
(young taro stems boiled, peeled, and mixed with sugar
and coconut milk)
- Fish, taro, yam, fruit, and coconut
milk
|
- Balanced meals that include American
and local foods such as cereal, toasted bread, milk, taro,
tapioca, sweet potato, seafood, pigeon, turtle, clam, bat,
papaya, banana, tropical almond nuts, elang (young
taro stems boiled, peeled, and mixed with sugar and coconut
milk), kleu (tender layer that later becomes coconut
shell), and merekou (starch from football fruit cooked
with coconut milk and sweetened with Palauan syrup or sugar)
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Breadfruit, yam, taro, tapioca, banana,
sweet or sour saps, papaya, citrus, and other local fruits
- Dog meat, pork, fish, and other seafood
|
- Same as traditional plus rice, flour,
imported canned foods, and various drinks
- Nutritionally beneficial foods (green
vegetables, cabbage, watercress, etc.)
|
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Fish, clam, turtle, coconut crab, banana,
pandanus, papaya, and other local produce
|
- Same as traditional
- Healthy foods from the West
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Locally-grown starches, vegetables,
and fruits
- Seafood such as fish, crabs, clams,
and other shellfish
|
- Same as traditional
- Insides of very young coconuts (scraped
out)
- Fish/chicken soup with vegetables
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1.7 What are rituals,
stories, and proverbs associated with food?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Tapitofau ma Ofafau (adopted
meals)
- Origin of Tausala and Aumaga
(Young Lady and Young Man)
- Proverbs
- E le uma se mu?a: No matter
how young a coconut is, people will stop eating it because
it is very delicious
- Ua penapena i tua o i?a: Clean
a fish before eating it so it won?t smell like the ocean
- Ua ou nofo ma le mama ua lomi: Words
of thanks, often said after eating delicious meal
- Ai ma le foa mea a Losi: Refers
to someone who offers a meal then talks behind the receiver?s
back
- Ua mele le manu a Afono: If
you receive a meal from someone, always offer words of blessing,
even if you do not like the food
- Le mama ma le potoi: Combinations
of food grouped/mashed together with hands
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Certain ritual were used to ask for
forgiveness or permission and to cure sickness
- Story of Feuwiimw
- Proverbs
- Mwengeen kasopw: Celebrate accomplishment
of something that required involvement of many people
- Mwenge kippwin: Sour food/feeling
of unwelcome
- Mwenge chuu: All things should
be accomplished with joint hearts and hands (eating together/collective
ownership)
- Mwengenipwin: People who eat
at night were thieves
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Blessing of food before eating
- Story of why banana trees die after
bearing fruit and coconut trees bear nuts all year
- Legend of how the face appeared on
the coconut
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- It is better to ask and not receive
than to offer and not be appreciated (proverb)
|
- Same as traditional
- Hunt for and eat what is necessary
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Blessing of food before eating
- If a pregnant woman doesn?t
receive the right food, her child will be born with a birthmark
- If a fork
or spoon drops on the floor while eating, someone
will visit
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Melebdeb (ritual in feasts:
eat all food prepared for that special occasion, no food
left to waste; also special drink made from coconut meat
and juice)
- High chief served first, received
pig?s head
- Proverbs
- Msebechii a kelel a Ngersuul: Don?t
overdo things
- Ng ko er a kelel a Beachedarsai:
?It is like Beachedarsai?s tiny serving of food, but
it never runs out? (Beachedarasai, a Palauan man, asked
a Palauan god for food; he received just a small portion
but was still very grateful for it; he began eating; every
time he thought that he had finished all of the food, more
would appear on his plate; his plate never went empty)
in other words, something is good and beneficial that continues
at a slow and steady pace
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Rituals
- Oalu (offering sakau
for ancestral forgiveness; performed to cure one cursed
by spirits of ancestors)
- Songmaterek (securing ?good
luck? in continual fish catching; performed after death
in family otherwise deceased?s spirits took luck away)
- Kamweng Kasapw(r>equired animal
bloodshed to prepare for a girl?s symbolic death; performed
during seventh month of first pregnancy)
- Ienpwong (breastfeeding mother
eats at night to replenish milk)
- Kapas Mwar (ceremony for receiving
honor ritualistic feasts)
- Proverbs
- Peluhs Men Ohl: Men eat quickly
and don?t eat too much
- Menge reirei lih: Women should
eat more slowly
- Me kin kohdihla sohte kin kasaminehla:
What goes down in the stomach doesn?t make it dirty
- Pwelin Kemed: Dirt that makes
one?s stomach full; you can eat it even if it?s dirty
- Tehn kiam: Count for number
of baskets of food given to chiefs; higher number may warrant
receiving well-recognized traditional title
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Blessing/thanking for food before eating
- Traditional leaders, church leaders,
guests, elders, and young children were served first
- Highly-recognized people and hosting
family gave speeches
- Songs before or after eating
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- First harvest of certain types of crops,
slaughtering of certain types of amphibious mammals, or
first opening of seasonal fishing observed with strict adherence
to rituals and customs
- First harvest of staple crop was prepared
for chiefs/men of community
- Designated ?men?s day? women harvested
best food crop and prepared for men in community; designated
?women?s day? all men fished for women, who prepared food
for returning fishermen to share at the end of the day
- Pregnant women?s cravings must be fulfilled
- In Ulithi, whales, porpoises, and turtles:
attributed with high/chiefly status, slaughtered at certain
island, divided according to pre-existing formula based
on family status and responsibilities
- Each family/clan held rights to certain
part of a kill
- First catch of season of certain fish
was offered to certain families before anyone could catch
and eat openly that type of fish
- All fish caught at opening of each
fishing season reserved for women
- Men?s fishing whereabouts must not
be revealed; men must abstain from sexual contact before
going fishing
- One who made the first catch of a particular
fish and observed tradition was rewarded many times over
by the one who received a respective portion (e.g., one
who got even the jawbone prepared/presented pots of cooked
food to honor the fisherman)
- Gift of cooked food (?pillow of the
fish?) showed appreciation for the fisherman?s respect for
tradition and for them, and signified that the season for
catching that type of fish was open
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1.8 What methods are
used for gathering/acquiring food?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Each family had some variety of plantation
consisting of taro, banana, breadfruit, and coconut
- Family members worked together to
make plantations
- Food was gathered at harvest; families
without plantations bought food from others
- Family members fished together; if
family did not fish, they bought fish from others
- Fishing nets/spears used for fishing;
spears used for hunting
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Taro was dug from the ground, breadfruit
was picked with a stick and long pole, and banana was harvested
with knives or machetes
- Fishing line made from hibiscus bark,
hooks made from fish/animal bones
- Birds were caught using traps/sap
of breadfruit stems and poisonous roots from certain plants
and vines
- Small fishing baskets were made from
coconut’s young leaves (sewa/tewerik)
|
- Dynamiting
- Trolling
- Commercial fishing nets
- Fishing with poles
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Fishing methods included chenchulu
(drag net), talaya (cast net); boats with spear
gun and fishing net
- Groups fished for family consumption
or for a special occasion
- Coconut crab hunting (for family consumption
or parties), deer and goat hunting
- Vegetables and fruits grown, pigs
and cows raised for family consumption
- Fruit bats/birds hunted for family
meals
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Netting and deep sea fishing with canoes
- Foraging inside reef areas
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- Netting and domestic fishing
- Farming
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Spear guns, traps, and locally-made
fishing nets
- Digging and picking
|
- Same as traditional
- Modern tools are used
- Food is also purchased
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Omelub (poison from leaves/roots
of Dub tree), merrau (handnets), ruul
(interwoven palm leaf fishnets), spearing, omengereel
(hook/bait at end of fishing line), omub (fish
traps), and omelit el kim (inserting blade through
crack of giant “tridacna” clam shell, cutting
muscle that keeps clam closed, and scraping meat from shell)
- Harvesting and digging various crops,
hunting animals
|
- Same as traditional, as well as purchasing
food from grocery stores and using gill and casting nets
for fishing and guns for hunting birds
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Uhpaup (poisoning fish
hiding under coral no damage to coral), oumaih (using
loose coral to build fence and trap fish), naikalap/naiketik
(using locally-made nets to catch fish on coral), and
dilin elimong (mangrove crab hunting in mangrove
forest)
- Dilin kehpineir (wild/forest
yam hunting), doumei (climbing trees for breadfruit),
and sapuht (cutting down trees for bananas)
- Pwihl (breadfruit sap
mixed into rubbery gum, placed on branches to get birds)
and koas/kesik (throwing stones/shooting birds)
|
- Kesik Mwuroi (shooting pigeons
with guns)
- Pwehk Tie/Pwihk (chasing after
and catching deer)
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Fishing: spears and nets
- Group fishing for certain occasions
|
- With modern tools (e.g., fish gun),
large catch can be obtained quickly
- Same as traditional on outer islands
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| |
Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Fishing (using drag, hand, or throw
nets, line casting, bottom lining, trolling, trapping, and
spearing)
- Gardening, harvesting, trapping, and
hunting
|
- Same as traditional
- Grocery stores and local produce markets
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1.9 Which seasons
or times of year are associated with farming, hunting, and fishing?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Plants were planted at any time of
the year; some people observed and planted according to
seasons
- January to March: crops planted
- April to June: growing times for plants
- July to September: cleaning dates
- October to December: harvest time for
crops
- Hunting usually from January to March
- Fishing October to December
- Many people fished, hunted, and harvested
at will all year long
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Fishing was dependent on the position
of moon and condition of sea (low and high tide)
- Nee-res for breadfruit harvest
season; Nee-fen for taro harvest season
- For other crops, farming done as necessary
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- March to April: fruit bat season
- October to November: coconut crab,
deer, and turtle hunting season
- Fishing all year
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Best times for hunting and fishing
were during the first five days of the first quarter and
new moon
|
- May to July: calmest time for fishing
(goat fish in April/May and big-eyed scad fish in May/June)
- December to January: roughest time
for fishing
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- June and December: trochus,
turtles, and pigeons
- Fishing depended on position of moon
- Year-round farming and fishing; however,
best crops and fish were dependent on the position of the
moon
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Ongos (East Wind) and Ngebard
(West Wind) seasons
- Year-round farming
- Year-round fishing with foreign fishing
tools
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Rahk (May to September) can
mean plenty; breadfruit season; fish were breeding so fishing
was favorable
- Isol (October to March) can
mean scarcity; yam season (difficult to cultivate, requires
more tending than breadfruit); taro, banana, and wild yam
were always available but were considered less prestigious;
crab hunting was preferred
- Time for harvesting and planting
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Breadfruit and pandanus seasons
- Year-round fishing and banana, taro,
and papaya planting/harvesting
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Year-round farming, hunting, and fishing
- Certain types of fishing, planting,
and harvesting were done at particular times of the year
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| |
1.10 How important
is food in social activity?
American Samoa
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Very important part of any ceremonial
gathering and social activity
- Must be enough for everyone (food always
prepared in large amounts)
- Visitors and guests received food from
the host village or family
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Chuuk
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Very important part of social activity
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CNMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Very important and unique in social
activities
- Used as means of contribution, exchange,
and gifts
- Chamorros were always proud to donate,
helped prepare food, and shared their culture during social
activities
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Guam
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Bonded a group and society
- Promoted unity and harmony
- Giving food was spiritually fulfilling
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- Food is associated with community,
satisfaction, abundance, and fulfillment
- At social gatherings, everyone brings
and shares their harvest, catch, or kill
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Kosrae
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Very important
- Type, kind, and amount of food determined
significance of any social activity
|
- Same as traditional
- Menu has changed to include more "outside"
foods
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Palau
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Very important
- Food brought everyone together to share
and celebrate
- Symbol of pride, prestige, and honor
- Not enough/bad/no food at social gathering
meant neglect or outright insult to guests
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Pohnpei
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Means of recognizing traditionally-ranked
and titled persons in social gatherings
- Symbol of wealth, thus power, authority,
and success
- Used for political maneuvering in campaigning,
etc.
- Attracted more members to participate
in social activities (community meetings, church-related
activities, and others)
- Used in all important gatherings (weddings,
birthday parties, etc.)
- Bringing food to social gathering was
one determinant of status in traditional local economy;
leaders could judge what was available to common people
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RMI
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Very important because it brought people
together for celebrations of special events (weddings, birthdays,
deaths) and for welcoming/meeting new friends
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Yap
| Traditional |
Contemporary |
- Significance of social activity determined
by type, kind, and amount of food available
- Form of reciprocity between and among
families, clans, and communities
- Gift commemorating certain events with
cultural significance to community, when visiting sick relatives
and friends, and for funerals
- Form of atonement
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