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Polynesia

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Polynesian food is tropical, generous, and deeply connected to the ocean. Taro, breadfruit, sweet potato, coconut, bananas, pork, fish, and fresh fruit form the foundation, with grilling, wrapping, fermentation, and underground ovens adding loads of flavor.

Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Tahitian, Māori, and other Polynesian traditions all have their own personalities, but communal feasting is a lovely constant. Earth-oven cooking is especially iconic, turning simple ingredients into tender, smoky food made for a crowd.

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Active dry yeast All purpose flour Arrowroot or cornstarch Arrowroot starch Arrowroot starch or tapioca starch Baking powder Banana leaves Banana leaves and/or taro leaves Banana leaves or foil Bananas Beef or pork Black pepper Bread flour Breadfruit Brown sugar Bulb garlic Butter Butter or coconut oil Cabbage Canned corned beef Canned corned beef or fish Carrot Cassava Chicken Chicken breasts Chicken or corned beef Chicken stock Chili Chilli Cilantro Cinnamon Clams Clean coconut shell or bottle Coarse salt Cocoa powder or koko samoa Coconut Coconut bread Coconut crabs Coconut cream Coconut milk Coconut milk or water Coconut oil Coconut oil or butter Coconut oil or sunflower oil Coconut toddy Coconut water Cold water Coriander Coriander or parsley Coriander or spring onion Corned beef Crushed ice Crushed pineapple Cucumber Curry powder Desiccated coconut Egg Egg yolks Evaporated milk Fine salt Fine string Firewood Firm Firm white fish Firm white fish fillet Fish Fish bones Fish heads Fish or fish fillets Fish sauce Flour Flying fish Freshwater shrimp Frozen mixed vegetables G tin corned beef Garlic Ginger Glass noodles Granulated sugar Green bananas Green papaya Hard cheese Heads Honey or sugar Hops Instant yeast Jam Jam or your favourite spread Juice lime Kava root powder Koko samoa ball or Lamb shoulder or ribs Lemon juice Lemon or lime juice Lemongrass Lemons or limes Lime Lime juice Lime or lemon juice Lime wedges Long beans or green beans Maple syrup Mayonnaise Milk Minced pork Mint leaves Mung bean glass noodles Octopus Oil Oil for deep frying Onion Orange Papaya Peanuts Peel oranges Pepper Pig Pineapple Pork Pork shoulder Potatoes Pulaka Pumpkin Red capsicum Red onion Reef fish Reef fish fillets Reef fish or fish fillets Rice Ripe bananas Ripe breadfruit Ripe mango Ripe papaya Ripe pineapple River stones or volcanic stones Sago or tapioca pearls Salt Sesame oil Shredded coconut Soy sauce Spring onion Suckling pig Sugar Sugar mixed with cinnamon Sunflower oil Sweet potato Sweetcorn kernels Tapioca pearls Taro Taro leaves Thumb ginger Thyme or pacific basil Tinned corned beef Toasted shredded coconut Tomato Tree access to mature Tuna Tuna steaks Unsalted butter Vanilla extract Vegetable oil Very firm white fish fillet Very ripe bananas Very skinless white fish fillet Warm coconut milk Warm milk Warm water Water Water or chicken stock Water or fish stock Water or light stock Water or stock Watermelon White bread White fish White rice Wooden or metal skewers Yam or taro Young coconut Young green coconuts Young taro leaves

Takihi with Coconut Cream (Takihi)

Fried Fish and Coconut Bread (Ika Kai me Pane Popo)

Coconut Rice with Reef Fish (Araisi Popo mo e Ika)

Uga (Coconut Crab) Boiled Plate (Uga Fakapaku)

Coconut and Fish Bites (Ika mo e Popo Fakaila)

Banana Fritters (Panikeke Futi)

Coconut Fish Chowder (Suapi Ika mo e Popo)

Pumpkin and Coconut Soup (Suapi Pukena mo e Popo)

Green Papaya Salad (Ova Fuiono)

Coconut and Cucumber Salad (Ova Popo mo e Kukama)

Baked Reef Fish in Coconut Milk (Ika Tunu Puna mo e Popo)

Chicken and Taro (Moa mo e Talo)

Boiled Taro with Coconut Sauce (Talo mo e Popo)

Steamed Sweet Potato with Coconut Cream (Kumala mo e Popo)

Banana Coconut Cream Dessert (Futi mo e Popo Huka)

Coconut Pudding (Pulou Popo)

Coconut Flatbread (Pane Popo)

Fried Dough Balls (Panikeke)

Fresh Coconut Water (Vai Popo)

Lime and Coconut Water Cooler (Vai Tipolo mo e Popo)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Festive Coconut Rice Platter (Araisi Popo Kaiga)

Fried Fish Sticks (Ika Fakaila)

Coconut Fried Dough Rings (Panikeke Popo)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Takai Feast Platter (Takai Kaiga)

Mahoa Pudding (Arrowroot and Coconut Porridge) (Mahoa)

Panikeke (Sweet Fried Dough)

Ika Tunu (Grilled Reef Fish with Coconut Sauce)

Atu mo Talo (Tuna and Taro Stew)

Ota (Raw Fish in Lime and Coconut Cream)

Ugauga (Coconut Crab Salad)

Ika Suafa’i (Fish and Coconut Broth Soup)

Talo Vai Niu (Taro and Coconut Milk Soup)

Coconut and Cucumber Salad (Salati Niu)

Ika Fakapapa (Fish Baked in Coconut Cream)

Pua’a Umu (Umu-Baked Pork)

Baked Breadfruit with Coconut Cream (Mei Fakapapa)

Boiled Taro with Coconut Sauce (Talo mo Lolo)

Poke (Banana and Coconut Pudding)

Vaisalo (Coconut Cream and Sago Pudding)

Falaoa Niu (Coconut Bread)

Falaoa Mahoa (Arrowroot Flatbread)

Vai Niu (Fresh Coconut Water)

Ika Palai (Fried Fish Cakes)

Kaleve Niu (Coconut Toffee)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Palusami (Taro Leaves in Coconut Cream)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Ika Umu (Whole Umu-Baked Fish for Feasts)

Panikeke (Tongan Sweet Fried Dumplings)

Tonga Toast (Banana-Stuffed French Toast)

Sapasui (Tongan Chop Suey)

Kapisi Pulu (Corned Beef and Cabbage in Coconut Cream)

‘Ota ‘Ika (Raw Fish Salad in Coconut Cream)

Tongan Devilled Clams (Kuku Fakatapa)

Tongan Fish and Root Vegetable Soup (Supo Ika)

Kelepi Moa (Chicken and Root Vegetable Coconut Stew)

Tongan Potato and Chicken Salad (Salati Pele)

Lu Pulu (Corned Beef in Taro Leaves with Coconut Milk)

Lu Sipi (Lamb in Taro Leaves with Coconut Milk)

Feke (Octopus in Coconut Cream)

Baked Taro with Coconut Cream (Talo Fakalolo)

Faikakai Topai (Coconut Caramel Dumplings)

Faikakai Mei (Breadfruit in Coconut Caramel)

Keke ‘Isite (Tongan Fried Yeasted Bread)

Falaoa (Tongan Baked Bread Loaf)

‘Otai (Watermelon and Coconut Drink)

Keke Pua’a (Pork and Coconut Steamed Buns)

Fried Breadfruit Chips (Mei Fakapaku)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Puaka Tunu (Umu-Roasted Suckling Pig)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Pumpkin and Cassava Coconut Pudding (Fai Kai Ngoue)

Funafuna (Tuvaluan Fried Doughnuts)

Boiled Pulaka with Coconut Cream (Pulaka mo lolo)

Pisupo Rice (Corned Beef and Rice) (Raisi mo pisupo)

Grilled Reef Fish with Rice (Ika tunu mo raisi)

Coconut Crab (Uga)

Grilled Flying Fish (Pa’ala tunu)

Pulaka and Coconut Milk Soup (Sapasui pulaka)

Fish and Coconut Broth (Suo ika)

Ika Mata (Raw Fish Salad in Coconut Cream and Lime)

Coconut and Cucumber Salad (Popo mo penina)

Palusami (Taro Leaves with Corned Beef and Coconut Cream)

Tuvalu Tuna Curry (Kale ika)

Tulolo (Mashed Pulaka with Coconut Cream)

Taro Leaf au Gratin (Lau ika mo hisi)

Fekei (Grated Pulaka and Coconut Cream Steamed in Leaves)

Takai (Hardened Coconut Toddy Candy)

Tuvaluan Coconut Bread (Falaoa popo)

Leaf-Wrapped Steamed Coconut Bread (Falaoa fakaumu)

Kaleve (Fresh Coconut Toddy)

Kao (Fermented Coconut Toddy)

Coconut and Banana Fritters (Panikeke fai mo popo)

Roasted Breadfruit (Mei tunu)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Pua’a Sio’ata (Umu-Roasted Whole Pork)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Umu-Baked Palusami with Reef Fish (Ceremonial Feast Version) (Palusami)

Grilled Fish on Banana Leaf

Panikeke Street Snack

Holidays & Special Occasions

Umu Feast Pork (Puaa Umu)

Holidays & Special Occasions

Palusami for To’ona’i Sunday Feast

Taro Leaf Salad

Coconut Cabbage Salad

Grilled Fish with Fa’ausi

Chop Suey with Taro

Talo with Coconut Cream

Ulu (Breadfruit Chips)

Koko Samoa Cake

Fa’apapa (Bread Version)

Tongan Kava (Traditional Ceremonial Drink)

Tokelauan Tropical Fruit Salad with Coconut Cream (Salati Fua)

Tokelauan Kava (Traditional Ceremonial Drink)

Tongan Tropical Fruit Salad with Coconut Cream (Salati Fua)

Poke (Pumpkin and Banana Coconut Pudding)

20 min · 7 servings

Ika Tunu (Grilled Fish Skewers)

20 min · 3 servings

Nu Vai (Fresh Coconut Water with Lime)

Umukai Pork (Earth Oven Roasted Pork with Breadfruit)

20 min · 7 servings

Eke Taro Crisps (Taro Chips)

15 min · 3 servings

Poke Taro (Coconut Taro Fritters)

20 min · 2 servings

Punu Kai Patties (Corned Beef and Taro Cakes)

25 min · 1 servings

Ura Bua (Freshwater Shrimp in Coconut Cream)

10 min · 2 servings

Holidays & Special Occasions

Tuaine Sunday Feast Baked Chicken in Coconut Cream

15 min · 6 servings

Holidays & Special Occasions

Rito Parcels (Fish and Taro Baked in Banana Leaf)

25 min · 5 servings

Maniota Flatbread (Arrowroot Flatbread)

20 min · 5 servings

Panikeke (Cook Islands Coconut Fritters)

15 min · 3 servings

Kaokao (Cook Islands Coconut Bread)

15 min · 11 servings

Steamed Breadfruit with Coconut Cream

10 min · 2 servings

Green Papaya Salad with Lime

15 min · 1 servings

Maniota Porridge (Arrowroot Porridge)

5 min · 3 servings

Taro Leaf and Corned Beef Soup

15 min · 4 servings

Eke Mimiti (Marinated Octopus in Coconut and Lime)

20 min · 6 servings

Pumpkin and Coconut Cream Soup

10 min · 5 servings

Rukau (Taro Leaves Baked in Coconut Cream with Corned Beef)

20 min · 3 servings

Tumunu (Traditional Fermented Bush Beer)

Cook Islands Ika Mata (Raw Fish Marinated in Lime and Coconut Cream)

20 min · 6 servings

Maniota Pudding (Arrowroot and Coconut Pudding)

10 min · 6 servings

Coconut and Cucumber Salad

15 min · 1 servings

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