Papeda — Papua, Indonesia

Papeda, also called bubur sagu, is a porridge made from sago starch extracted from the pith of the sago palm. Cooked in water until it turns thick, glossy and translucent, it has almost no flavor of its own and is meant to be eaten together with a well-seasoned broth or sauce. This preparation is reported as a staple across the Moluccas, West Papua and Papua New Guinea, in areas where sago palms grow more readily than rice paddies; rice remains the preferred staple further west and in the center of the Indonesian archipelago. Sago starch is first dissolved in a little cold water to make a smooth slurry, then boiling water is poured over it while stirring vigorously; the mixture is returned briefly to low heat, stirring constantly, until it turns glossy. It is typically served alongside a turmeric-yellow fish broth, made by simmering fish with a paste of turmeric, ginger, shallot and garlic, lemongrass and lime leaf, finished with a squeeze of lime. What distinguishes papeda from other Indonesian starches is both its source — sago rather than rice or cassava — and its texture, closer to a stretchy, gelatinous paste than a grain porridge; it is commonly scooped and swallowed rather than chewed. The fish broth served alongside carries almost all of the seasoning, since the porridge itself stays deliberately plain.