One of the privileges of working overseas is trying new things and eating all kinds of different foods! A big part of the Sepik culture is crocodiles or as we say in the local langugage, “pukpuk”. They live on the rivers and can get pretty big. I have seen pictures of them up to 12 feet! Thankfully, I have never met one this size!
They aren’t really something we fear too much. Because they are regularly hunted for food, their population is kept at a good number of them. They actually have to go way up or down river to find them but there are still plenty around.
If you have read anything about the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea, you may have read that the young men get scarification on their backs and legs that look like a crocodile. It is a big part of their legends and a big part of there culture.
Our girls acquired the taste for crocodile when we were in bush orientation as Allie and Kara couldn’t get enough. Now the whole family enjoys them (except LaShawn – she is still not sureJ). We usually have to divvy them up evenly, as everyone (except LaShawn J) wants to get their fair share of the “pukpuk nuggets”.
They have a few crocodile farms in this country, especially around our area! So this meat was purchased at a store in town.
Remembering the days when an alligator would play havoc with a fishing net placed at the mouth of a stream. One of our men got the gout every time he ate the meat. In our country we called them cayman and the smaller ones (baba). These and iguanas were desired fare for our village people along with the wild pigs and the tapir. Thanks for sharing your life with us. May the Lord continue to bless your ministry there.