Considered as the 'tree of life', the sago tree is at the basis of the Papuan tribes' diet and symbolizes their respectful relationship to their environment. Alive, it can not be felled without 'permission' and must be replaced by planting another sago tree. Its very nutritious pulp is extracted from the trunk, crushed, washed, filtered and transformed into a flour cooked in a bamboo or baked like bread. The putrefaction of the sago tree remains attracts worms which are collected and eaten alive.