Materials
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ICH Materials 233
Videos
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Kosrae (FSM) ICH: Weaving and Local House
There are many forms of weaving and many items which can be woven on Kosrae. These include the weave mat (kiaka otwot), fan (pal), basket (fotoh), thatch on the ridge of the roof of a house using coconut fronds (sraho), fahsuh (weaving thatch roof using Nypa palm used only), among others. Kosraean warp-striping weaving may be considered unique among weaving cultures due to its complexity. \n\nThe Kosraean word for weaving depends on the item being woven. There exists a variety of woven items which served as currency, reinforced family ties and other relationships, as well as honor. In some cases, a chant may be shared to ensure a girl’s future in weaving. In the past and on contemporary Kosrae, weaving can be found in the preparation of food baskets for funerals, fishing baskets worn on waist of women fishing in the lagoons, loom-weaving for belts (tol), thatch roofing, hats, and cordage for example. \n\nThere can be at least three known types of baskets important in food preparation: fusanie, in the form of a star and used in storing fafa, (2) usanie kapiel or fusanie sa nu which is a larger form of the previous one and woven from young coconut leaves, and (3) kuumpäl which is a kind of basket with handles made of coconut fronds and named after the woven plate. Weaving served not only a function but can be considered a marker of the past. One particular kind of cord can be called nosunap, named after the god Nosunap (also spelled Nasrunsiap or Nazuenziap). \n\nKosrae used to be one of the largest consumers of sinnet cord, suggesting significant movement. This is consistent with oral histories collected in the recent past which connected Kosraeans all the way to Satawal and Puluwat. Among the most common materials for weaving, banal fiber, hibiscus, and pandanaus stand out as the materials of choice. The preparation for each material depends on the item to be woven. While banana fibers may be most common, the hibiscus fiber is easier to dye. Dyes for strands of weaving materials may come from terminal leaves, certain types of mud, and mangrove calyx (black), turmeric (yellow), banana suckers (blue), or marinade citrijolia (red). Of these colors, red was the most prized. The preparation of weaving materials can be lengthy, depending on the plant. The hibiscus fiber needs soaking in sea water for several days while the banana fibers need to dry in the sun and then each fiber is separated into thinner strands. Elders on contemporary Kosrae continue to practice weaving for it serves many uses.\n\nCarving : Carving in Kosraean culture is carried out by the mukul (men). They carve many items, including tok yot (stone fafa pounder), tok sak (wooden pounder for taro and banana for a dish called ainpat), tah (an axe for cutting breadfruit), fuhfak (for wooden handle of an axe used for firewood), oak (canoes), tuhp in fafa (wooden tray shaped like a boat used for presenting fafa), and mwe ahryahr (wooden spoons of many types including long or short or flat ones). The laklak (outrigger of a canoe) is another item which needs to be carved. Carving of toys and wooden sculptures. Oars that are carved along with the canoes.\nBuilding Local House : There are many kinds of houses which can be built using Kosraean methods, including in um (a cooking house), imun oak (canoe house), and iwen monglac (local resting house). Building a local house has always been a community effort, even today; although, of the heavier work is done by the mukul (men) and the weaving for the thatch on the roof is carried out by the muhtacn (women). The mukul will go into the forest to obtain materials from the forest and sometimes from mangroves, depending the type of wood needed for a particular type of house. There are five main sizes of wood needed to build a house and ten parts of the house requiring these five sizes of wood. The sru (posts) are the largest size and heavy. Moving them may be accompanied with a work chant which serves as motivation in lifting, moving, or pulling of the heavy objects. The next size includes kaclacp, lala, and ohl. The kaclacp and lala supports the ohl, which sets the height of the house. The next size wood is used for pokwuhsr (trusses). The next size smaller is used for sahkpahsr (rafters) and folo (beams). The smallest size are for the kwesrihk which is only for thatch roofing (it is where the thatch can be attached) and sukunum which is placed to support the thatch from the bottom. Cutting down the trees is according to the Kosraean moon calendar as is moving the logs from one part of the island to another to use the logs. Paksak (literally, floating of objects) refers to the right time to move the log from one place to another using rivers or channels. This is dependent on the tide. This practice existed because transportation was not available during that time so they usually cut down these big logs and used the chant to get the log to the shoreline and then move the log in the process of paksak to its new location.
Micronesia 2020 -
Mui Tsz Lam - Hakka Rice Dumplings
“Hakka” means “guest people” in Chinese. A group of Hakka settled in Mui Tsz Lam, a village in North-East New Territories in Hong Kong, in the 17th Century during the Qing Dynasty. \n\nThe Hakka are known for being hardworking and enduring. Since they farmed on less fertile terraces, their food grown is modest and practical. This culture is also reflected in festive foods like rice dumplings for the Tuen Ng Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival.\n\nMaking and eating rice dumplings is an essential part of the Tuen Ng Festival. The festival is associated the patriotic poet and politician Qu Yuan in the 3rd Century BC, who committed suicide at the river. After his death, people made rice dumplings and threw them into the river and played drums on the dragon boat, hoping that the fish would not eat Qu Yuan’s body. \n\nAt present times, people still make rice dumplings every Tuen Ng festival as a tradition, with different recipes passed on in different areas. The Hakka recipe is modest and simple, which utilizes almost all home grown produce, which includes bamboo leaves, sticky rice, peanuts, shallots, and dried shrimp. After many years of desolation since the 1970s, Mui Tsz Lam villagers come back to their home village to make rice dumplings together for the first time.\n\nThe instructions to make a Hakka rice dumpling are as follows:\n1. Preparing ingredients:\nSoak bamboo leaves and sticky rice overnight, and dried shrimps for 15 minutes. When bamboo leaves are soft, clean and cut the top and bottom of bamboo leaves.\n2. Chopping and crushing:\nMince the soaked dried shrimps, shallots. Crush peanuts and remove skin.\n3. Frying the filling:\nFry the dried shrimps, shallots and peanuts, first separately then together. Set the filling aside.\n4. Wrapping the dumpling:\nWith 1 bamboo leaf, place a layer of stick rice and a layer of filling, then another layer of sticky rice. Cover the layers with the same piece of bamboo leaf. Turn the dumpling aside and use another piece of bamboo leaf to wrap the side. Do the same for the other side, and the dumpling should be completely wrapped by 3 bamboo leaves. Tie up the dumpling with strings or grass. \n5. Cooking: \nBoil the dumpling for 3 hours before eating.
China 2021-10-21 -
Nom Neal
Neal refers to a cake-making tool called NomNeal (Neal Cake). In some parts of Cambodia, this cake is an annual tradition associated with the ascension (Neak Ta) of the villagers near the Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex in Kampong Thom province. Every month, the locals prepare to make offerings to their Neak Ta, which is associated with the entire archeological site. There are two Neak Ta who are closely related to each other, the "gatekeeper or Neak Ta Tvear" and another one is “Neak Ta” who looks over the entire temples’ complex. In every house, the locals make cakes to donate for any ritual ceremonies.\n To make this cake, they need to mix white rice with some sticky rice and pound it together until it turns into powder. Then add a little bit of sugar and salt to make it taste salty and sweet. Before they start cooking, they boil water in a clay pot and put a coconut shell with a hole on the bottom on top of it. They put the rice flour around the edge of the clay pot so that no steam can come out of the mouth of the pot. They take two long banana leaves and put them on the bottom of the pot before pouring the flour into it. For this powder, they mix them with water to make it sticks together and becomes a paste and then cover it with two or three banana leaves before putting the lid on the pot and pressing it on for about 5 to 10 minutes. When the cake is ready, they remove the cover and touch the leaves. Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the cake out of the Neal.\n
Cambodia -
Pohnpeian Ceremonial Yam Feast_Bringing agricultural products
Yam (kehp) is the pride of men on Pohnpei Island, Micronesia. Men put more labor to prestigious goods for feasts, especially yams, pigs, and sakau (kava), among which yams have the highest value to attain social status than other daily food crops. In addition to hereditary quality, achievements, especially contributions during the feasts, are an important factor for a man to gain prestige and higher hierarchical chiefly titles in Pohnpeian society. \n\nBringing agricultural products.\nBanana, coconut, taro, and other agricultural products are brought to display on the main platform in the community assembly house before they are redistributed while men prepare pigs for cooking.
Micronesia 2015 -
Tom Yum Kung: Globally Loved Thai Dish
Tom yum kung is a popular traditional soup dish that is prepared in households across all of Thailand. It often consists of prawns (kung) cooked with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lemon, and chili peppers, ingredients that are easily obtained in every region of the country. \n\nTom yum kung is a staple menu item in every Thai restaurant from tiny village eateries to fine-dining restaurants, and has garnered worldwide renown. This video describes the flavor of Tom yum kung and introduces the entire process from preparing to cooking the ingredients to make the dish.
Thailand 2020