ExploFood · Oceania
What to eat in Kiribati
Three dishes to try in Kiribati, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Three dishes to try in Kiribati
Raw fish in coconut
Raw tuna or reef fish cured in lime or vinegar with coconut cream.
How to have it: Shared across the Pacific; on Tarawa it is eaten with rice and served at feasts in the maneaba.
Babai Te babai
Giant swamp taro grown in pits, boiled or pounded with coconut syrup.
How to have it: A prestige food kept for feasts and weddings rather than everyday meals.
Toddy Te karewe
Coconut palm sap, drunk fresh and sweet or left to ferment.
How to have it: Cut from coconut trees twice a day; drink karewe fresh, as fermented toddy is restricted.
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Questions
What food is Kiribati famous for?
Raw fish in coconut (raw tuna or reef fish cured in lime or vinegar with coconut cream) comes first on our list, followed by Babai and Toddy.
What is the national dish of Kiribati?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Kiribati is Raw fish in coconut: raw tuna or reef fish cured in lime or vinegar with coconut cream. Shared across the Pacific; on Tarawa it is eaten with rice and served at feasts in the maneaba.
Which dishes in Kiribati are vegetarian?
Two of the three on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Babai and Toddy. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Kiribati?
Toddy: coconut palm sap, drunk fresh and sweet or left to ferment.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Kiribati
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.