Jããnkun

The jããnkun (or mokwan as it is called in the northern atolls of the country)[1] is a typical food of the Marshall Islands: it is a dried paste of pandanus tectorius fruits,[2] which thanks to the special processing can be stored for very long times.[1][3]

The ripe fruits are cooked for a long time in an earth oven. Once ready and cooled, a thick juice is extracted using a special tool called wekan or peka.[1]

The juice is simmered until it changes colour and thickens. The resulting paste is dried in the sun for two to three days in thin layers on banana leaves. It is turned over at least once to ensure an even drying process.[1][3]

Once dried, the banana leaves are removed and the dried paste is cut, rolled and tightly wrapped in pandanus leaves, which are then tied.[1][3]

It is similar in preparation and use to Gilbertese te tuae and to sehnikun in kipar from the Federated States of Micronesia.[3]