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Food · Oceania

What to eat in Marshall Islands

Three dishes to try in the Marshall Islands, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.

Three dishes to try in the Marshall Islands

  1. Chukuchuk

    Main dishVegetarian

    Balls of rice rolled in freshly grated coconut.

    How to have it: Served at kemem birthday feasts and parties alongside fish, chicken and breadfruit.

    Read about Chukuchuk on Wikipedia

  2. Breadfruit Mā

    Main dishVegetarian

    Starchy fruit roasted, boiled or preserved by fermentation as a staple carbohydrate.

    How to have it: Roasted over coals on outer islands; look for breadfruit chips in Majuro shops.

    Read about Breadfruit on Wikipedia

  3. Coconut crab

    Main dish

    Giant land crab, steamed or boiled, with rich meat often cooked in coconut milk.

    How to have it: A special-occasion dish on outer atolls; numbers are falling, so avoid small or egg-carrying crabs.

    Read about Coconut crab on Wikipedia

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Questions

What food is the Marshall Islands famous for?

Chukuchuk (balls of rice rolled in freshly grated coconut) comes first on our list, followed by Breadfruit and Coconut crab.

What is the national dish of the Marshall Islands?

Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for the Marshall Islands is Chukuchuk: balls of rice rolled in freshly grated coconut. Served at kemem birthday feasts and parties alongside fish, chicken and breadfruit.

Which dishes in the Marshall Islands are vegetarian?

Two of the three on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Chukuchuk and Breadfruit. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.

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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Dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.