BY JOY OFASIA
LOCALS got to indulge their taste buds in bone bone food as women from Santa Cruz, in Temotu province showcased their traditional cooking skills during the Tinakula Festival of Arts and Culture over the weekend at the Solomon Islands National University Village, east of Honiara.
Sold during the two-day-long event were roasted also traditionally known as ‘bone bone’ (cooked in fire and hot stones) yam, taro, pana, and fish.
Marolyn Inone Akalina from Santa Cruz, Temotu’s largest Island told SOLOMON WOMEN that bone bone food like banana, yam, taro, pana, and fish tastes very sweet and it’s a heritage to the people of Temotu province and it can be prepared by women.
“Bone bone is one of the traditional styles of cooking that the people of Temotu province often practice and it has been passed down from generation to generation from our ancestors til today.
“This type of cooking is used all over the islands and is classified as the best traditional way to cook food in Temotu province,” Marolyn explained.
She said the women from Temotu are very happy to participate in this year’s inaugural Tinakula Festival of Arts and Culture and proud to showcase and share the information about bone bone kakai as one of their heritage.
She noted that anybody can do this type of cooking method.
“Bone bone is simple, what you need to do is just make a fire to heat your stones until it is really hot and then place fish or root crops on top of the hot stones to cook; and when we cook, we often scrape off the burnt excess on the cooked food before eating it,” Marolyn said.
Marolyn further explained that bone bone is special in its ways.
“Bonebone method is special in the sense that it has its natural sweet taste compared to other types of cooking methods, it also can be preserved for a few days but still has its same natural taste and most of all it is healthy,” she said.
