This was a huge event with 4560 delegates from 107 countries! “Going local with Traditional Food in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia” was the title of our oral presentation, October 8, at the Symposium of Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems and Nutrition: Finding Solutions in Local Cultures and Environments. It was enthusiastically received, and I am happy to share with KP readers that I wore my “Let’s Go Local” t-shirt!
As reported in past KP articles, this global health study focused on traditional foods, diet, health, and a two-year promotion of local food for health. There were academic and community leaders from 12 case studies as taken from Canada, Colombia, FSM, India, Japan, Nigeria, Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand.
Apart from the global health project, our Pohnpei Banana posters appeared in a different session as well. Dr. Barbara Burlingame, Senior Nutrition Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, presented these in her talk on food composition and biodiversity at the ICN. This was quite an honor for Pohnpei!
Podis Pedrus and Kiped Albert, community leaders of Mand, Pohnpei, FSM, and Dr. Lois Englberger, as part of the Pohnpei case study in the global health project then participated in the Satellite Workshop on Culture, Environment and Agriculture for Food and Nutrition Security of Indigenous Peoples, held 11-15 October in Thailand, supported by CINE and Thailand government.
The group first visited the remote Sanephong Village in Thailand’s case study of the Karen people, as superbly coordinated by our colleagues from Mahidol University. What a special visit! This included traveling to a remote Karen village, where there was a tremendous outpour of hospitality; learning about their work;, enjoying a feast of traditional Thai food and beautiful dancing and singing; and even riding in an ox cart!!
Thanks are extended to CINE, Mahidol University and the Thai government, ICN, Sanephong village, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
World Food Day Acknowledgements. Thanks again are extended to the agencies providing financial support for the 2009 World Food Day activities celebrated on October 16, 2009, as listed in the previous KP article. Also we would like to thank the Pohnpei State Office of Economic Affairs, College of Micronesia-FSM Cooperative Research and Extension, Department of Education, Department of Health Services, Department of Lands and Natural Resources, FSM Departments of Resources and Development, FSM Foreign Affairs, Island Food Community of Pohnpei, and other partners, who assisted in the work and made the event a memorable one. Again thank you President Mori for your speech and closing words, a reminder to us all, “Let’s go local!”.
Kehpineir Kekihr
By: Eunice Hedgar
This was the winning recipe in the
“Any Local Food” category of the 2009 World Food Day Healthy Cooking
Competition.
Ingredients:
2 cups grated yam ( best to use this variety: Kehpineir)
½ cup fish meat
10 large chaya leaves
½ cup ripe papaya
1 ginger leaf (Kisiniong)
1/3 teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut cream
Method:
1. Put sufficient water in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Add the grated yam to the boiling water.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut cream and stir the mixture for 3-5 minutes.
4. Then add the coconut cream and serve.