Sago processing
Pangkur sago or tokok sago is a traditional way of processing sago to get starch (flour). Pangkur sago is usually done together by several people.
Selection of sago trees ready to harvest
The first thing to do in Pangkur or menokok sago is to look for sago tree trunks that are ready to harvest. The Papuan people recognize the characteristics of sago palms that are ready to be harvested based on the leaf midrib which becomes shorter when compared to the previous midrib.
The second sign is that flower buds are starting to appear. The tree tops are flat when compared to younger sago palms.
To ensure that the tree contains sufficient starch, a test is sometimes carried out by perforating the trunk of the sago palm about one meter above the ground. Then take the pith, then chewed and squeezed.
If the juice is cloudy, it means that the starch content is high and the tree is ready to be cut down. After finding the sago palms that are ready to harvest, the next step is to clean up shrubs and small trees to make way for the intended tree clump.
This is intended to facilitate felling and transportation of felled trees. The felling of sago trees traditionally uses an ax.
After the tree falls, the sago midrib is cleaned and part of the tip of the sago trunk is removed because the starch stored there is low. Trees that have been cut down are then cut into short sections with a size of 1.5 to 2 meters.
Pangkur Sago
Well friends, now comes the process of shaving or cutting sago (Pangkur). It is a process for extracting tree trunks into starch or flour.
The tree trunks that have been cleaned of midribs and thorns are carried into small flowing rivers. After splitting, the sago pith that has been trimmed is kneaded while flowing from the existing water source.
In the Kamoro area, Southern Mimika, Timika, Papua, mothers are the ones who pangkur / grind sago. According to them, cutting sago is the right of women. While the fathers are in charge of cutting and cutting sago trees only.
Now, sago starch deposits have started to build up. The white starch is then collected in a tumang. Tumang is a woven container made of sago leaves shaped like a large bucket.
Meanwhile, in the Kamoro community, Mimika, the tumang has a long pointed shape. Sago is ready to be processed or sold to the market. Thus it is a traditional processing, especially in Papua and Maluku.
It is different if the extraction is done by the factory. Sago tree trunks that have been cut into pieces about 40-70 cm and then grated using a machine to get starch deposits. The precipitate was washed several times to obtain white and clean flour.
The packaging is also plastic. At first glance, sago flour is almost the same as tapioca flour. The colors and textures are also similar. However, some people prefer sago flour for processed foods with more perfect results.
This sago flour is then widely used as processed sago food. We find a lot of processed sago such as cakes, pastries, porridge, and also mixed drinks.