Kaukau (Roasted Sweet Potato)

Name: Kaukau (Roasted Sweet Potato)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Papua New Guinea
Ingredients: 4 medium sweet potatoes (kaukau), unpeeled; 2 tbsp coconut oil; Salt, to taste

4 servings10 min prep40 min cookEasy Papua New Guinea

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Kaukau (Roasted Sweet Potato)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Kaukau, sweet potato, is Papua New Guinea's staple crop, especially throughout the Highlands, where it's believed to have been introduced centuries ago and became so central to daily life that entire social and agricultural systems developed around growing it. Simply roasted, it remains a defining Highland food.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

4 medium sweet potatoes (kaukau), unpeeled
2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt, to taste

Instructions

1Preheat oven to 400°F, or prepare hot coals for an open fire.
2Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and pat dry.
3Rub each sweet potato lightly with coconut oil.
4Roast directly on the oven rack or in the embers for 35-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until soft all the way through.
5Split open and sprinkle with salt.
6Serve hot as a staple side with grilled fish or greens.

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