Pana

Ingredients

Yams

• 1.5 kgpana, lesser yam

For boiling

• water
• salt, if wanted

For roasting

• a wood fire or hot embers

Sometimes served with

• fresh coconut cream
• grated coconut
• cooked greens
• fish

Note

• the tubers are small and often covered in fine roots

Directions

1. Discard any that are sprouting heavily or that smell musty. Preparing them takes a little scrubbing.
2. Rub off the fine roots as you go. Do not peel them before cooking. Put the scrubbed tubers in a pot. Cover them with plenty of cold water.
3. Add salt if you want, though many households add none. Bring it to the boil and lower to a steady simmer. Cook them for about twenty-five minutes. Test with a knife, which should slide in with no resistance.
4. Drain them and let them steam dry for two minutes. Peeling them is easiest while hot. Hold each one in a clean cloth.
5. Rub or pull the skin away with your fingers. Bury the whole scrubbed tubers in the hot ash.
6. Cover them completely with ash. Leave them for about thirty minutes. Turn them once during that time. Cooking them in a motu is done for a feast.
7. Serve them hot, peeled, in a bowl or on a leaf. Cold leftovers are eaten the next day or fried in oil.

Technique

• Cook them unpeeled, since the skin protects the flesh and slips off afterwards.
• Do not overcook them, as they go watery and fall apart.
• Roasting in embers concentrates the sweetness far more than boiling.

Substitutions

• Any small yam, though pana is sweeter than most.
• An oven at 200C in place of a wood fire.

Variations

• Roasted in the embers of a fire.
• Cooked in a motu stone oven for a feast.
• Boiled and mashed with coconut cream.

History

A traditional Melanesian yam planted in garden mounds before cassava arrived; it stores well and is central to feast exchanges.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pana?

Pana is a salad & side from Solomon Islands: small sweet lesser yam, boiled or roasted, prized above cassava in the villages. A traditional Melanesian yam planted in garden mounds before cassava arrived; it stores well and is central to feast exchanges.

How long does Pana take to make?

Pana takes 20 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Pana?

Yes, within limits. Any small yam, though pana is sweeter than most. An oven at 200C in place of a wood fire.

What is the most important thing to get right in Pana?

Rub off the fine roots as you go. Do not peel them before cooking. Put the scrubbed tubers in a pot. Cover them with plenty of cold water.