Hikes for History
Our Hikes for History program focuses on learning Kosraean oral histories, flora and fauna, and recent history while hiking. Trees, greenery, jungle, animals–they can be found in so many places, but the true character of a place is built by the oral histories shared generation to generation. The Hikes for History outreach program serves to connect and educate all visitors about the landscapes which surround them! Feel free to contact us about our Hikes for History!
17 August, 2017
Kosrae HPO’s team and Pacific Treelodge Resort partnered with Emilson Phillip to learn oral histories about traditional routes in his village of Malem! En route, we learned about the Japanese who also used Kosraean routes during World War II, the Japanese caves, how to make a pig trap, and tasted the football fruit (Pangium edule)! As it turns out, it tastes similar to the durian fruit found in Southeast Asia with more flesh and less of a paste texture. The fresh fruit and seeds of the Football Fruit contain hydrogen cyanide and are deadly poisonous if consumed without prior preparation. The seeds are used to kill rats and wild chickens, and the bark and leaves are used to stun fish so they can be scooped up easily. When the seeds are prepared for eating, the kernels may be ground up to form a thick black gravy called rawon found in a popular dish called nasi rawon, which is a beef stew in Indonesia. The Toraja people of Sulawesi, Indonesia, use black keluak powder in a dish called pammarrasan (black spice with fish, meat, or vegetables). In Singapore and Malaysia, the seeds are best known as an essential ingredient in ayam (chicken) or babi (pork) buah keluak, a mainstay of Peranakan cuisine. Peranakan refer to descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and Indonesia through inter-marriage. Visit our Facebook page for images from the excursion!