Tongan Recipes
5 recipesTongan cooking relies on the root crops and sea that the islands provide. The large white yam called 'ufi, taro, cassava and sweet potato are the daily starches, and coconut cream is poured over or cooked into almost everything. Feasts are laid out on a long plaited tray called a pola and cooked in an 'umu, an earth oven, with suckling pig, chicken, crayfish, octopus and vegetables. Lu, parcels of taro leaves holding coconut cream and corned beef or lamb, are the most recognized dish, and 'ota 'ika, raw fish dressed with lemon juice and coconut cream, is a common starter. Sweet dishes include topai, dumplings in coconut syrup, and fried doughnuts called keke. 'Otai, a chilled drink of fruit and coconut milk, is served at gatherings. Kava is drunk in formal ceremonies. Food is shared generously, and Sunday is traditionally the main family feast.
Staple ingredients
- 'ufi (yam)
- taro and taro leaves
- cassava
- coconut cream
- fresh fish and octopus
- pork
- corned beef
- watermelon and tropical fruit
Appetizers
Main Dishes
Desserts
Snacks
Drinks
Common questions
What is Tongan food known for?
Lu parcels baked in an 'umu, 'ota 'ika raw fish, root crops with coconut cream and coconut-syrup desserts. Meals are built around starch, fish or pork and coconut.
What is the national dish of Tonga?
Lu pulu and 'ota 'ika are the two dishes most associated with Tonga. Lu pulu is a baked taro-leaf parcel, and 'ota 'ika is raw fish in citrus and coconut cream.
What is an 'umu?
An 'umu is an underground oven heated with stones, used to cook feasts on Sundays and at celebrations. Pork, chicken, seafood and root crops are steamed in leaves for several hours.