Kundiawa, the rugged highland capital of Chimbu Province, feeds its visitors and locals alike with an honest, earthy cuisine rooted in the rich volcanic soil of the Wahgi Valley. The staple here is kaukau — sweet potato — and you'll find it prepared in a dozen different ways: roasted in hot coals, steamed inside bamboo, or piled alongside leafy greens cooked down in coconut cream. Meals are generous, unpretentious, and deeply tied to the land.

The main market near the town centre is where the real food adventure begins. Vendors arrive before dawn hauling bilums heavy with garden produce — taro, pitpit cane shoots, highland bananas, pumpkin tips, and fiery bush chillies. A small coin buys you a skewer of smoky lamb flaps grilled over charcoal, or a thick wedge of boiled corn wrapped in banana leaf. Buai — betel nut — isn't food exactly, but it's traded and consumed here constantly, and watching the social ritual around it tells you everything about Chimbu life.

For a sit-down meal, a handful of local guesthouses and trade stores serve warming plates of rice, tinned fish stew, and greens to workers and travellers passing through on the Highlands Highway. Don't expect fine dining — expect filling, satisfying food served fast and without fuss. The mumu, a traditional stone-cooked feast of pork, sweet potato, and vegetables steamed underground, is the crown jewel of any celebration here and worth seeking out if you're lucky enough to arrive during a sing-sing or village gathering.