A party here means FOOD. Food that everyone helps cook. We begin on the floor.
The number one utensil is a meat CLEAVER! No paring knives here, but many very large and threatening meat cleavers.
The food being "cleaved" is the trunk of the palm oil tree. It was lying on the kitchen floor when I arrived like the skinned trunk of a tree.
After being thoroughly "cleaved," it was set to boil.
Next, we got serious: Whole chickens were "chopped" literally. Chop Chicken is like hamburgers in America: the favorite dish. In the foreground: more veggies and greens. Note: all done on the kitchen floor.
This part was quite unnerving: they cleaned, scaled, and washed the fresh fish in the sink.
Meanwhile, rhythm continues: chop, chop, chop.
Chicken is put to fry...
Chop Fish is ready...
These are dried sardines. I have mentioned they are available in enormous piles everywhere.
Sardines are ground up with mortar and pestle.
Cabbage is next.
Cooking is a spectator sport here. Everyone takes turns watching, cooking, preparing, and watching.
Again, the cleaver. I looked... no one missing fingers.
They are extremely adept with it.
Pineapple ready for addition to cabbage.
Bowl is a very large dishpan. Pineapple is cut into spears.
Chief Cook Sadia takes charge of the frying.
Next, Sadia directs final touches to the cole slaw: One full bottle of mayonnaise and at least a quart of sugar.
Stir with a spoon the size of a cleaver.
Diners await...
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