How Sago Saves My Cooking Time During Self Isolation
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Sago, is known as eastern Indonesian carbohydrate source that made out of Metroxylon sagu. There are two types that can be found in each market in Papua, either tumang or sagu iris. In simple way, tumang is the hard starch, often mixed very hot water to make papeda, either white or transparent jelly. And sagu iris is cooked tumang without water and is hard like rock but will be soft when put into water.
During this self isolation time, I bet people stay inside the house a lot. And when it comes to cooking, so much energy will be used from cooking rice, veggies, and all other things that family like to eat.
When piling up my food stock before the self isolation began, I happen to find the sagu iris I bring from home in April 2019, and they still look good. Starting my third week working from home, I start to get bored of things around me including the food.
So I decided to eat sagu iris as my carbohydrate source. I like how easy the preparation is, just pour some water and wait for less than two minutes then voila. And it can be eaten with almost any veggies and other protein source.
As a Papuan, eating sagu can be sentimental, because when it comes to eat, we do not eat alone, all the family member gather and sit down together, either baku rebe when there are lots of food or baku cubit when there are less food, we still eat together.
But that cannot be done during this pandemic, as it requires everyone to do self distance. And I cannot wait for this to be done so I can be home and hug people I love and let the sea breeze fills my lungs.
