Bug au — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A ceremonial cooking method where marinated chicken and root vegetables are layered with hot stones and banana leaves in an earth pit, slow-steaming for hours. Similar to mumu but specific to the Eastern Highlands.

Ingredients

2 whole chickens, cut into pieces
6 sweet potatoes, halved
4 taro corms, quartered
2 bunches greens (aibika or kumu)
10 banana leaf sheets
River stones (20-30 smooth, round stones)
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Dig a pit approximately 1 meter wide and 50cm deep.
2 Build a large fire in the pit and heat river stones in the fire for 1-2 hours until white-hot.
3 Remove burning wood, leaving hot stones in the pit.
4 Layer banana leaves over the stones, then add root vegetables in a single layer.
5 Add another layer of hot stones, then place seasoned chicken pieces on top.
6 Cover with greens and more banana leaves. Add a final layer of hot stones.
7 Cover entire pit with banana leaves and then earth to seal in steam.
8 Leave undisturbed for 2.5-3 hours. Open carefully and serve immediately.

Did You Know?

Preparing a bug au can involve an entire village working together from dawn. The size of a bug au feast is a direct statement of the host's social status and generosity.