Sakau is a plant that is commonly used by micronesians especially the Pohnpeians. It was believed that this plant was first brought from the state of Kosrae. Sakau is a plant that usually grows in moist grounds moslty in the forest area. This plant is considered a very important view in the living standards of many Pohnpeians today.
This substance has also become the number one cause of such gathering like feasts, parties, marriage proposals, and reconciliation of any event taken place. Thus, it reguires specific steps in preparing this sakau plant. There are certain steps that people go through in the preparation and usage of sakau plant. First, you have to chop the roots into small size pieces to be more convenient when pounding. Second, you rinse them and clean off the dirt from the roots. After that, you will place the sakau roots on the so-called pounding rock. It is round and sometimes oval in shape and is very flat on the top and buttom. So after you place the roots on the pounding rock, you start pounding the sakau roots. This pounding process takes about ten minutes or less. After this pounding process the sakau roots will turn into small fragments.
In preparing the sakau root, you will also have to prepare another step that goes with this process. This step is when you prepare the hibiscus strings that are tied together as one and is used to squeeze the juice out.This is how you prepare the hibiscus fibers or strings. First, you have to peel off the outer skin of the hibiscus branch. Then you take the part that you peeled off from the inner part of the outer skin and dip it in a container of water and take it out. Then you rub hibiscus against each other until slime fluids appear. After you are done with that, you will place the hibiscus skin on the pounding rock and spread the strings of the hibiscus out. Then you will take some amount of the sakau fragment and put them in that hibiscus fiber or strings that are being spread out. You will have to go little by little because sometimes the hibiscus wouldn't be able to accommodate a larger amount. Then you squeeze it until the juice comes out. Also for this, you will! need a coconut shell to be held beneath the hibiscus strings as you squeeze it. After it is being filled up with the sakau juice, you may start serving. All you have to do after that and on is just drink and enjoy the relaxing sensation of the sakau plant.