Overview of Hand-Eating on Piis Island

Piis Island is a low and flat island located in the Chuuk Lagoon of Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. The island has a circumference of about 2.5 kilometers and a population of approximately 300 people. The coastline is lined with lush coconut palms, giving it the quintessential image of a “South Sea island” (Photo1).

While island residents do sometimes use spoons or forks, meals are generally eaten by hands (Photo2). The Federated States of Micronesia, which gained independence in 1986, has a colonial history similar to other Micronesian nations, having been ruled in succession by Spain, Germany, Japan, and the United States. However, it is reasonable to assume that hand-eating predates these periods of foreign rule.
Either hand can be used, and people may eat in whatever posture they like—as long as it is within the bounds of what might be called “common sense.” There is no issue with licking one’s fingers during or after a meal. If anything, using three fingers—the thumb, index, and middle finger—is considered elegant, but this is not strictly enforced. It may sound a bit blunt to put it this way, but as long as it’s “comfortable,” anything goes. Children learn how to eat by observing and imitating others.

Traditionally, people would sit on the ground, gather around plates placed directly on the earth, and use their hands to take food and bring it to their mouths. While today ceramic or plastic dishes are commonly used, for example, when going on a picnic to an uninhabited island, it’s not unusual to collect newly sprouted coconut leaves on-site and use them as makeshift plates (Photos 3 and 4, Video 1). Banana leaves can also serve as plate substitutes, and baskets woven from coconut leaves may be used to present fruit.
That said, it is now also common to eat meals while seated at a table with dishes placed on top, and sometimes even to offer finger bowls to guests. In 2023, it marked 100 years since Christianity (specifically Roman Catholicism) was introduced to Piis Island, but the shift in dining customs seems less a result of Christian influence and more a reflection of the broader modernization of lifestyle, including food culture.

On Piis Island, the act of sharing meals appears to be highly valued. While walking through the village, one will almost inevitably hear someone call out, “Sia mongo,” which means “Let’s eat together.” It is customary to say “Sia mongo” to a visitor who arrives during cooking or mealtime.
Closely related to this is the local ideal of generosity—sharing what one has is considered virtuous. For example, alcohol, though officially prohibited on the island, is often shared communally in a round of drinks. If someone is smoking and another person approaches with interest, the smoker might stop halfway and hand over the cigarette. Similarly, when it comes to betel nut—a popular stimulant made by chewing the fruit or nut of the areca palm with betel leaf, lime, tobacco, and other ingredients—it is considered proper to offer some if someone asks. This generous behavior builds mutual support: if you are generous on a regular basis, when you find yourself without cigarettes or betel nut, you can always count on others to share. On the other hand, if you’re known for being stingy, no one will share with you when it’s your turn to ask.