Traditional Cake "Asamp"

Welcome back!!

I'd like to share a traditional dish that I learnt to make while on my christmas holiday in the village. This is a very special dish . It is called "Asamp". I'd like to call it traditional cake because of the way its prepared, with layers that looks like the cake.

The layers of mixer of kumu(veges) will capture you eyes. Haha!! (picture below)

I've been told that only few elderly mothers can make the best asamp. (actually I wasn't told until I finished making this dish haha!! So probably I have made the team, yay!!)

When ever there's a traditional marriage ceremony, the bride's people prepare this special dish for the groom's people.

The dish is presented to the groom with the new bride. The groom and his people will share the dish. The flavor and the taste will tell whether the union will last or not.(traditional belief)

Preparation:

1️⃣A mumu place (ground oven) is prepared.

2️⃣Stones are heated over the fire.

3️⃣A small size pig is slaughtered and the meat, grease and bones are separated.

4️⃣Meat and grease are chopped into pieces.

5️⃣Bush fan, herbs and wild breadfruit leaves are collected and set aside.

6️⃣Four to five coconuts are scrapped.(actually i was wondering why coconuts were included in this dish, cos there are no coconut trees in the Highlands hahah!! Could have been a replacement of some spice though).

7️⃣Banana leaves are heated over the fire and set aside.

8️⃣Carrots, spring onion, ginger, ginger leaves, garlic curry and salt (cubes) are prepared.

The measurement used on the spices will depend on the levels of mixer prepared.

For this case, we prepared four layers of the asamp.

Step 1️⃣:

Freshly heated Banana leaves were placed on the base of the layer to stop the leaking.

Step 2️⃣:

Wild breadfruit leaves were placed on top of the banana leaves to capture the mixer.

Step 3️⃣:

Spice leaves were added on top of the breadfruit leaves. This is a special leaf used for this dish.(also used as plates for serving the asamp, the traditional way)

Step 4️⃣:

Traditional bush herbs were placed on top of the spice leaves. (These herb leaves are found in the jungle near rivers).

Step 5️⃣:

Add some fern leaves on top of the herbs.

Step 6️⃣:

Place chopped round cabbage on top of the fern.

Step 7️⃣:

Add some chopped meat grease, onions, carrot and some scrapped coconut,grated ginger, garlic, curry, salt and cubes on top of the cabbage.

(I've been told that the morden curry, salt and cubes have replaced the traditional salt and curry, like seriously they really had traditional salt and curry).

Step 8️⃣:

Cover the first layer with the spice leaves then start the whole process again(step 1 to 9)

Note:

All eight steps were applied on the four layers of the cake.

Then the mixer is wrapped well and tied around with ropes. It is placed in the hole with stones. Some hot stones are placed at the bottom of the hole before the wrapped mixer is placed in. Some stones are then put around the fold to cook the Asamp.

After an hour or two the stones are removed and the mixer is taken out of the hole. Mothers would serve them on the spice leaves set aside as plate. (Actually no plate is needed for this dish). It is truly delicious.

There we go. A delicious traditional dish from my second home Province Jiwaka.

Thank you for reading.

With love.