In a showcase of more than a hundred variations, resourceful residents from Aimeliik and Ngatpang States displayed their expertise and creativity to come up with different by-products of the island’s local produce, initiated by the experts from the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Aimeliik last week.
Guests filled their plates with the various viands and desserts all made in Palau, targeted to make a hit with the tourists and merge agriculture and tourism (agro-tourism).
The goal is marketing Palau’s local products to tourists for
on-the-spot tasting or as “take home” goodies for families and loved-ones.
Locals and tourists can now taste dried noni and Roselle fruit, noni and banana vinegar, jams made from papaya, Roselle, football fruit, pumpkin and noni, and wine made from guava, papaya, football fruit, star fruit and taro.
The guests, composed of government officials and stakeholders of the tourism industry enjoyed a variety of dishes the island’s marine resources and local produce, a visible proof that there’s more to be done provided the locals use their creativity. From the simple tapioca came out various desserts like chips, sweetened and fried, with sweetened coconut milk, sweet balls and diokang kebab. For main dishes, tapioca was presented in a number of delicious ways- boiled, grinded with sweetened coconut milk, sweetened or steamed, sushi, suman, leaf soup, fried leaves, and a lot of other menus.
Agro-tourism is TTM’s project for 2005 to 2007. This is aimed to help more locals benefit from agriculture and boost tourism at the same time.
Soon, expect the island’s products to gain popularity with the tourists and turn out to be beneficial as the TTM demonstration farm will become a part of the package tours to the outlaying states of Babeldaob.
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