ExploFood · Oceania
What to eat in Tuvalu
Four dishes to try in Tuvalu, the most typical first. Three are vegetarian.
Four dishes to try in Tuvalu
Pulaka
Giant swamp taro grown in pits, baked or boiled as the island staple.
How to have it: Mostly eaten at feasts and family meals; often served baked with coconut cream.
Palusami
Taro leaves wrapped around coconut cream and baked until soft.
How to have it: A feast dish shared across Polynesia; often comes alongside fish or pork at celebrations.
Ika mata
Raw reef fish or tuna cured in lime juice with coconut cream.
How to have it: Made with the day's catch around Funafuti; the regional Polynesian raw fish dish.
Kaleve
Sweet sap tapped from coconut palms, drunk fresh or left to ferment.
How to have it: Drunk fresh in the morning or boiled into syrup; fermented toddy is stronger, so ask which you are given.
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Questions
What food is Tuvalu famous for?
Pulaka (giant swamp taro grown in pits, baked or boiled as the island staple) comes first on our list, followed by Palusami, Ika mata and Kaleve.
What is the national dish of Tuvalu?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Tuvalu is Pulaka: giant swamp taro grown in pits, baked or boiled as the island staple. Mostly eaten at feasts and family meals; often served baked with coconut cream.
Which dishes in Tuvalu are vegetarian?
Three of the four on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Pulaka, Palusami and Kaleve. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Tuvalu?
Kaleve: sweet sap tapped from coconut palms, drunk fresh 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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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.