Papua has a diversity of cultural wealth and local wisdom. One of them is the stone burning tradition. The Batu Bakar tradition is one of the important traditions in Papua in the form of cooking rituals together with residents of 1 village that aims to give thanks, to make friends (gather relatives and relatives, welcome happiness (birth, customary marriage, coronation of tribal chiefs), or to gather soldiers To fight, the Batu Bakar tradition is generally carried out by inland / mountain tribes, such as in the Baliem Valley, Paniai, Nabire, Central Mountains, Bintang Mountains, Jayawijaya, Dekai, Yahukimo etc.
Why is it called stone burn? Yep, this tradition really burns rocks and then uses the stone that was burned earlier to be placed on a pile of meat or food so that the food is cooked. But in each place / tribe, called by various names, for example Gapiia (Paniai), Kit Oba Isogoa (Wamena), or Barapen (Jayawijaya).
Some of the stages in the stone burning tradition are carried out as follows:
1. The stone is placed above the fireplace and then burned until the wood burns out so that the stone gets hot sometimes until it burns red.
2. At the same time residents make a hole deep enough to place food and fuel.
3. The hot stone was placed at the bottom of the hole which had previously been placed with banana leaves and weeds.
4. After the hot stone is placed, then put the banana leaf again on the hot stone and then immediately put the meat you want to cook (usually pork but in some Muslim religious areas the meat is replaced with chicken or beef meat like the walesi community).
5. On top of the pork covered with banana leaves, then placed on top of the hot stone again and covered with leaves.
6. On top of the leaves, put sweet potatoes (batatas), cassava (hipere), and vegetables that have been given other seasonings and covered with leaves again.
7. On top of the top leaves are piled hot stones and finally covered with banana and alang alang leaves.
Pork that will be cooked is not immediately slaughtered, but arched first. If a pig dies immediately, then the sign of the event will be successful, but if it does not die immediately, then the sign of the event will not be successful. After cooking, usually after cooking for 1 hour, all members of the tribe gather and share food to be eaten together in the middle of the village, so that it can raise the solidarity and togetherness of the people of Papua.
Until now the Batu Bakar Tradition is still being carried out and developed also to be used to welcome important guests who visit, such as regents, governors, presidents and other important guests.
