Tuvaluan Recipes
3 recipesTuvalu is a chain of nine small coral islands where food comes from pits, palms and the lagoon. Pulaka, a swamp taro grown in pits of composted soil below the water table, is the main starch and is usually cooked in an earth oven. It is grated, pounded or steamed in its own leaves and finished with coconut cream, as in fekei and tulolo. Coconut is used for milk, cream, water and toddy, and breadfruit and bananas add variety. Fish from the lagoon and open ocean is the main protein, and coconut crab is a prized treat. Pork is saved for celebrations, often during a fatele, a night of feasting and dancing. Rice has become an important staple, and sweets such as puleleti, coconut cooked with coconut syrup, are made for gatherings. Meals are simple and shared, and everything is cooked with whatever the island can supply.
Staple ingredients
- pulaka (swamp taro)
- coconut cream and milk
- lagoon and ocean fish
- breadfruit
- bananas
- coconut crab
- rice
- pork
Side Dishes
Fekei (Tuvaluan Steamed Taro Parcels with Coconut Cream)TV1 h 45 minMedium
Tulolo (Tuvaluan Beaten Taro with Coconut Cream)TV1 h 50 minMedium
Desserts
Common questions
What is Tuvaluan food known for?
Pulaka dishes with coconut cream, such as fekei and tulolo, plus fresh fish and coconut sweets. Meals rely on what grows on coral atolls.
What is the national dish of Tuvalu?
There is no official one. Pulaka with coconut cream is the dish most tied to the islands, and it appears at feasts and family meals.
What is pulaka?
Pulaka is a giant swamp taro grown in pits. Its corms are toxic raw, so they are always cooked thoroughly, usually in an earth oven, and eaten with fish and coconut cream.