Breadfruit Fermentation Practices in Oceania. - article ; n°79 ; vol.40, pg 151-164

Nancy J.Pollock

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Journal de la Société des océanistes - Année 1984 - Volume 40 - Numéro 79 - Pages 151-164
Reprenant les données éparses dans les récits des premiers voyageurs comme dans la littérature ethnographique, l'auteur présente une synthèse de nos connaissances sur les anciennes techniques de fermentation du fruit à pain dans le Pacifique. Quelques comparaisons sont également esquissées avec l'Asie du Sud-Est. Sans méconnaître les implications sociales de ces pratiques, l'auteur s'attache plutôt aux aspects diététiques et gastronomiques et suggère qu'ils ont pu jouer un rôle aussi important que la fonction de stockage elle-même. Chimistes et biologistes mènent d'ailleurs des recherches à l'heure actuelle dont on peut attendre une vérification de cette hypothèse.
Taking up the scattered data in first traveller's narration as well as from the anthropological literature, the author presents a synthesis of our knowledge on the ancient techniques of breadfruit fermentation in the Pacific. Some comparisons are also sketched with South-East Asia. Although not ignoring the social implications of these practices, Nancy J. Pollock's paper is rather devoted to the dietetic and gastronomical aspects and suggests that they had played a role as important as the functions of storage itself. Moreover, chemists and biologists are achieving research at the present time of which a confirmation of this hypothesis may be expected.
14 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: JOURNAL_DE_LA_SOCIETE_DES_OCEANISTES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1984
• Nombre de lectures: 67
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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Nancy J. Pollock
Breadfruit Fermentation Practices in Oceania.
In: Journal de la Société des océanistes. N°79, Tome 40, 1984. pp. 151-164.
Résumé
Reprenant les données éparses dans les récits des premiers voyageurs comme dans la littérature ethnographique, l'auteur
présente une synthèse de nos connaissances sur les anciennes techniques de fermentation du fruit à pain dans le Pacifique.
Quelques comparaisons sont également esquissées avec l'Asie du Sud-Est. Sans méconnaître les implications sociales de ces
pratiques, l'auteur s'attache plutôt aux aspects diététiques et gastronomiques et suggère qu'ils ont pu jouer un rôle aussi
important que la fonction de stockage elle-même. Chimistes et biologistes mènent d'ailleurs des recherches à l'heure actuelle
dont on peut attendre une vérification de cette hypothèse.
Abstract
Taking up the scattered data in first traveller's narration as well as from the anthropological literature, the author presents a
synthesis of our knowledge on the ancient techniques of breadfruit fermentation in the Pacific. Some comparisons are also
sketched with South-East Asia. Although not ignoring the social implications of these practices, Nancy J. Pollock's paper is rather
devoted to the dietetic and gastronomical aspects and suggests that they had played a role as important as the functions of
storage itself. Moreover, chemists and biologists are achieving research at the present time of which a confirmation of this
hypothesis may be expected.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Pollock Nancy J. Breadfruit Fermentation Practices in Oceania. In: Journal de la Société des océanistes. N°79, Tome 40, 1984.
pp. 151-164.
doi : 10.3406/jso.1984.2544
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/jso_0300-953X_1984_num_40_79_2544Breadfruit fermentation practices in Oceania
by
Nancy J. POLLOCK *
it ' cheese ' because of its strong smell. OriFermentation of breadfruit is a method of
processing the fruit that was developed locally ginally a native cultigen, perhaps of eastern
Indonesia or western Micronesia (Barrau in the Pacific, but is part of pattern of pro
1976), the breadfruit tree is now found from cessing foods that was extensively developed
inland south-east Asia through to the eastern in south-east Asia as well as in other parts of
islands of the Pacific. Its transfer to the the world (Steinkraus 1983). The links be
Caribbean in a well known historic episode tween the geographical occurrences of these
processes are not yet established. Nor are has led to the useful foodstuff being locally
the steps involved in processing breadfruit so available throughout the other half of the tro
pical world. However, the use of breadfruit well documented as those for tempe, shoyu,
etc. Two important papers that deal with has also been spread intensively ; by selective
planting of shoots, new varieties have been food preparation and processing in the Pacif
developed that provide fruit over a wider seaic include fermentation as if it were only for
storage of breadfruit (Barrau and Peeters sonal base, and also provide fruit with diffe
rent desirable qualities. Such intensification 1972 : 148 ; Yen 1975 : 150). However, fe
rmented breadfruit was eaten in the Marquesas is also developed by the process of fermentat
ion that converts breadfruit into a paste and in Truk mixed with fresh breadfruit as
part of the basic highly desired daily food substance that adds variety of taste and tex
ture as well as a storable substance. supply (Handy & Handy 1923 : 188 ; Le Bar
1963). And on Namu, Marshall Islands, bwiru These culturally developed practices have
enabled the human population to make use of paste was eaten two to three weeks after it
was set in the pits to ferment (NJP fieldno- the fruit almost all year round, and longer
(Pollock 1983a). The seedless variety has tes). Thus it will be argued here that fe
rmented breadfruit was made as much for its been more extensively propagated than the
seeded variety in the island Pacific. Not contribution to variety of flavour and texture
in the diet as for its contribution to storage only is this beautiful and graceful tree an eco
nomic mainstay of the food supply of several against future shortages.
particular Pacific societies, but it also lends The breadfruit tree, Artocarpus altilis, and
its edible produce, have long been a source of itself to storage, a practice which is not so
suitable for most of the other root and tree food for people living in the Pacific, particu
starch foods in the Pacific. Thus its versatillarly for those in the north western, central
and eastern islands (for a discussion of the ity was important, particularly in the margins
of the Pacific. variations in the botanical name for breadf
The origins of the process of pit fermentatruit, see Stone 1974). The tree and its fruit
also caught the imagination of the early ion have not yet been clearly established
either in place or in time. Kirch (1979 : 303) European explorers in the Pacific ; they won
reports that " archeological evidence for the dered at the simplicity of producing such a
' bread ' food, though they were not so antiquity of this technique in Polynesia has
been claimed in West Polynesia... ". Howe- impressed by the fermented product, labelling
Dept. of Anthropology, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. 152 SOCIÉTÉ DES OCÉANISTES
ver breadfruit is a more important foodstuff markedly in the acceptance of a food such as
further east, so that it may be there that pits fermented breadfruit. Some of the visitors
still await the archeologist's spade, i.e. in the in the Pacific who tried the fermented paste
Marquesas where the use of breadfruit was (for example Cook and Banks) found it
more highly developed than anywhere else in unpleasant. As Bank noted in his general
the Pacific. I have suggested elsewhere (Pol discussion of Native Meals :
lock 1985) that it is possible that the Marque- As I have mentioned sour paste, I will proceed san development of breadfruit as their main to describe what it is. Bread-fruit, by what I can foodstuff may have led the people to initiate find, remains in season during only nine or ten of
the pit fermentation process as breadfruit was their thirteen months, so that a reserve of food
their main and first rated foodstuff on which must be made for those months when they are
they depended for their year round food without it. For this purpose, the fruit is gathered
supply, whereas their other Pacific neighbours when just upon the point of ripening, and laid in
heaps, where it undergoes a fermentation, and were able to fill gaps in the food supply be
becomes disagreeably sweet. The core is then tween breadfruit seasons with taro, various
taken out, which is easily done, as a slight pull at yams, sweet potatoes and bananas as the
the stalk draws it out entire, and the rest of the main starchy foods. fruit is thrown into a hole dug for the purpose, It is evident that the process has persisted generally in their houses. The sides and bottom over time, and is not a recent innovation. of this hole are neatly lined with grass, the whole
All of Cook's reporters describe the process of is covered with leaves, and heavy stones laid upon
making fermented breadfruit paste in detail ; them. Here it undergoes a second fermentation
Sydney Parkinson (1784/1984) particularly and becomes sourish, in which condition it will
comments on it as a well established practice keep, as they tell me, many months. Custom has,
I suppose made this agreeable to their palates, in 1759 (p. 17). Barrau and Peeters (1972)
though we disliked it extremely ; we seldom saw have argued in their paper on the history and
them make a meal without some of it in some prehistory of food preparation in the Pacific shape or form. that the various means of conservation of As the whole making of this mahie, as they call foodstuffs, amongst which they include fe it, depends upon fermentation, I suppose it does rmentation, have long been an integral part of not always succeed ; it is always done by the old
the utilization of vegetable foodstuffs in the women... (Banks 1896 : 137-8) (my underlining).
Pacific. In fact they proposed that develop
ment of these particular techniques for prepa It is clear that he found the practise well
ring and storing foodstuffs must have prece established, but the taste which appealed to
the Tahitians was * disagreeable ' to those ded, and by a considerable time, the develop
ment of techniques of production of these Europeans that tried it.
foodstuffs (Barrau and Peeters 1972 : 147-9). A genetic link between those populations
In the case of breadfruit, their argument sug that fermented breadfruit and/or taro is sug
gests that the process of placing whatever sur gested as a long-shot. It is possible that
plus fruits remained in pits to ferment at the those populations shared a genetic factor for
end of the season was more essential to the the taste or absence of taste for the sour fl
survival of a population than the development avour of fermented breadfruit. Based on
of new species of trees Jx) fill the gap in pro what we currently know of the genetic factors
duction, and