A Culinary Journey Across

Australia

Samoan food is not heavily spiced and is characterized by the use of coconut milk and cream. Staple foods are taro, breadfruit, bananas, coconut, fish and shellfish, chicken and pork.
Samoan Umu, a traditional above the ground stone oven heated by glowing hot lava rocks is used to cook food. The food can be placed directly on the rocks, wrapped in banana leaves or plaited in coconut fronds for cooking.
Umus are usually used on Sundays as a special treat or in the event of large functions and other special celebrations.
Delicacies of Samoa include palusami (young taro leaves baked in coconut cream) and oka, (raw fish in coconut cream.
Not everyone knows that there are two Samoas - equally stunning - parts: Samoa and American Samoa. While there are definitely differences, Fa’a-Samoa - the traditional way things have been done for more than 3000 years - still prevails everywhere.
So what are the differences? Samoa is an independent nation with its own Head of State. At the end of the 19th century, there was much dispute between the Germans and Americans over the Samoan archipelago, and in 1899 the Tripartite Convention was signed, assigning the eastern island group to America and the western to Germany (it was called Western Samoa until 1997 when it was renamed Samoa). American Samoa, obviously as the name would suggest, is an - unincorporated - territory of the United States.
Angel food cake

Angel food cake alaska

Apple bread pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Apple cheese crisp

Apple cranberry crisp

Apple orange cake

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Cuisine is influenced by the cooking of
Italy
Australia has a unique blend of culinary contributions and adaptations from various cultures around the world, including Indigenous Australians, Asians, Europeans and Pacific Islanders.

It’s the right climate to grow the ingredients of the Southeast Asian neighbors—lemongrass, ginger, mint, chile, basil, Makrut lime, galangal—ingredients that have simply become part of the Australian cooking. Virtually every Aussie pantry has fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, and rice as staples. Olive oil, couscous, and dried pasta, too.
Native ingredients are used at every level of dining to add exclamation to dishes. There’s finger lime, a lime shaped like a finger with tiny balls of citrus inside.
There’s lemon myrtle, a leaf with a lemon-meets-eucalyptus flavor. Wattleseed is an edible seed that speaks of chocolate, coffee, and hazelnut. Samphire, (sea asparagus) known in France as salicorne is a coastal succulent that you can think of as a tiny, salty asparagus. The list goes on and on, making Australia a culinary wonderland for professionals. Australia’s bush is full of incredible indigenous ingredients that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have consumed for milennia.
In the past decade, Australian chefs have begun celebrating their country's unique culinary heritage by presenting this bounty of wild food in delicious ways; now you might see native ingredients like salt weed, wattleseeds, Kakadu plums and finger limes in a number of top restaurants.
Australian meat pie

Cinnamon ice cream with satin cinnamon chocolate sauce

Fish and chips

Kale fritters

Meringue pavlova

Spinach and pasta salad

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The cuisine of Christmas Island can best be described as an eclectic combination of traditional Australian cuisine and Asian cuisine, particularly meals from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Almost no fresh food is grown on the island

Some of the common ingredients and dishes are:

Coconut is widely used in cooking, as well as for making drinks and desserts.
Coconut crab, a large land-based crab, is a delicacy on the island. Christmas Island red crabs are protected and not used as food
Seafood
Fresh fish, such as yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and trevally, are abundant and often eaten raw as sashimi or cooked in various ways.
Pickled eggs are hard-boiled eggs marinated in vinegar or brine. They are a popular snack or appetizer, especially in pubs and taverns.
Fruits and vegetables:
Many fruits and vegetables grow wild on the island, such as papaya, mango, pumpkin, chilli, jackfruit, wild lime, and bunga kantan (a type of ginger flower). Some locals also grow Asian greens, such as bok choy, choy sum, and kangkong, in community gardens. Christmas Island crabs are protected you're not allowed to catch them for food. Red ants just about wiped them out! They don't taste good they're not a cross between lobster and shrimp.
Even if you can't eat them, it's definitely worth dropping by Christmas Island in December or January to watch a blanket of Red crabs migrate to the ocean and back - just be sure to wear boots. Christmas Island crabs are protected you're not allowed to catch them for food. Red ants just about wiped them out! They don't taste good they're not a cross between lobster and shrimp.
Even if you can't eat them, it's definitely worth dropping by Christmas Island in December or January to watch a blanket of Red crabs migrate to the ocean and back - just be sure to wear boots. more....

Polynesian and international cuisine is widely available on the Cook Islands.
Local islanders and visitors alike enjoy an abundance of seafood, especially shellfish. All ingredients are sourced fresh, including fruits and vegetables. Umukai’, a succulent dish cooked in a special underground oven, is a must try, along with many other local specialties like ika mata, raw fish cooked with coconut milk and finely chopped vegetables and curried eke, octopus in coconut curry.
Ungakoa is a type of shellfish, eaten as you would an oyster (cooked or raw). It is often served with cooked taro (green banana).
White crabs are another Cook Islands specialty, and are often garnished or served with grated coconut and/or cheese.
Poke is a traditional pudding made from different types of fruit, commonly banana and pawpaw that is cooked with coconut milk. Asian crab cakes

Barbecued pork loin

Braised leg of lamb cleopatra

Brochettes of lamb

Caribbean conch stew

Coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce

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The cuisine of East Timor is a blend of regional and foreign influences, mainly from Southeast Asia and Portugal.
Some of the common ingredients are pork, fish, rice, corn, legumes, tamarind, basil, and tropical fruits.
Here are some examples of traditional dishes from East Timor: Batar da’an: A vegetarian dish of mung beans, squash, and corn cooked with garlic and onions.
Ikan pepes: A fish dish wrapped in banana leaves with a spicy paste of turmeric, tomatoes, shrimp paste, lemon basil, and other herbs.
Bibingka: A grilled and layered coconut cake, often served as a dessert or snack.
Pudim de leite: A Portuguese-style custard pudding, flavored with vanilla and caramel.
If you are feeling adventurous, you can also try ai-manas, a very hot chili sauce made with bird’s eye chilies, garlic, lime, and salt. It is usually served with rice and meat dishes, but be careful, it is not for the faint-hearted! more....

Fiji's traditional cuisine relies heavily on foods available naturally on the island. As a result, their delicious dishes are usually made from fish and seafood, coconuts, root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cassava and breadfruit and other crop vegetables, citrus fruits and some chicken, pork and lamb.

1. Chicken Curry
2. Cauliflower and Canned Salmon
3. Sehna
4. Raita & Lassi
5.Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding) & Sonth
6.Vakalolo
7.Coconut Chutney
8. Jalebi, Lakadi & Barfi (Burfi)
9. Alu Bhindi (Okra and Potato) Curry
10. Roti
11. White Snapper in Tomato Sauce
12. Potato/Eggplant/Greenpeas
13. Chicken Palau (Pulao)
14. Kathar or Green Jackfruit
15.Bara
16. Roat (for Pooja))
17.Murku
18. Payasam (dessert)
19.Sev
20. Chicken Liver Curry (and/or Chicken Giblet Curry)
21.Khichdi
22. Coconut Gujia
23. Suji Laddoo Fijian cassava cake

Kava kava drink

Spicy coriander chicken salad

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Cuisine is influenced by the cooking of
France
Tahitian food is a fairly balanced melange of French, Chinese and Polynesian influence.
Ma’a Tahiti, traditional Tahitian food, is a mix of starchy taro and uru (breadfruit), raw or cooked fish, fatty pork, coconut milk and a few scattered vegetables.
Tuna, bonito, wahoo, swordfish and mahi mahi – dorado) and lagoon fish (parrotfish, jackfish and squirrelfish) feature prominently in traditional cuisine. Poisson cru (raw fish in coconut milk) is the most popular local dish, though fish is also served grilled, fried or poached.
French Polynesia is dripping with tropical fruit, including mango, grapefruit, lime, watermelon, pineapple and banana. Pamplemousse (grapefruit) is the large, sweet, Southeast Asian variety. Another Southeast Asian introduction, is a red spiny-skinned cousin of the lychee.The

Rambutan

Mussels in mustard sauce

Pizza margherita

Tahiti tuna ceviche

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Some Guamanian meat dishes include short ribs and Chicken kebabs. For breakfast, Guamanian people usually eat fresh fruit, especially mango.
Red Rice (Hineksa’ Agaga’)
A flavorful blend of seasoned rice colored with annatto seeds from the achote plant. Although rice has been a staple in the Chamorro diet for hundreds of years, it was not prepared using the achote seed until Spanish settlers introduced the plant to Guam. Achote releases a dye when soaked in water, which is then mixed with rice to give a distinct orange color. Other ingredients are often added including bacon, onion, garlic, and peas.
Chicken Kelaguen (Kelaguen Mannok)
A popular dish at almost all get-togethers characterized by a technique used in preparing chopped meats with lemon juice, salt, grated coconut, and hot red peppers. Kelaguen – which can be made using chicken, beef, shrimp, or even Spam® - is similar to chicken seviche but without the cilantro leaves.
Chamorro Barbecue
A staple on the fiesta table, most of the time, ribs and chicken are marinated for 3-4 hours in a soy sauce and vinegar mixture, then seared on an open grill over charcoal or tangan tangan wood embers.
Finadenne
A basic condiment used in Chamorro cuisine, the favorite sauce is prepared by mixing soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, chopped white onion, and fresh chili peppers. It can be spooned over food – especially meat – or used as a dipping sauce.
Cucumber Salad
A favorite among Chamorros, this dish takes a popular Guam vegetable and soaks it in finadenne’, bringing a tangy flavor to cucumbers.
Red Velvet Cake A lush Southern delicacy from the United States that has found its way to Guam. As the Chamorros enjoy great food, this dessert has found its way to most functions on the island. more....

The Kiribati Archipelago is a group of Pacific islands that occupies part of this oceanic region called Micronesia. Kiribati (pronounced “Kiribas”), lying midway between Hawaii and Fiji, is one of the most isolated countries in the world. ... A former British colony, Kiribati attained independence in 1979
Kiribati traditional food is based on rice and fish, with the sashimi being as good and as fresh as it gets. The palu sami (a coconut cream-curry powder-taro leave-seaweed concoction) is a Kiribati specialty, also served with it with chicken or pork.
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The cuisine of Marshall Islands is influenced by the indigenous foods of the islands, such as breadfruit, coconut, bananas, papaya, seafood, and pandanus, as well as by the cuisines of other countries, such as China, Japan, Thailand, and the West.
Some of the common dishes in Marshall Islands are:

Bwiro: a breadfruit dish consisting of breadfruit paste that is fermented, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an underground oven.
Coconut crab: a large crab that lives on coconut palms and feeds on coconuts. It is cooked in various ways, such as boiled, baked, or grilled.
Sashimi: raw fish sliced thinly and served with soy sauce and wasabi. It is a popular dish among the Japanese community in Marshall Islands.
Sticky rice balls: rice balls that are cooked with coconut milk and sugar, and sometimes filled with sweet or savory ingredients. They are often eaten as a snack or dessert. Asian crab cakes

Barbecued pork loin

Braised leg of lamb cleopatra

Brochettes of lamb

Caribbean conch stew

Coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce

more....

The Federated States of Micronesia also known simply as Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean is an independent republic associated with the United States.
Each of its four states is centered on one or more main high islands, and all but Kosrae include numerous outlying atolls. The main staple foods in the Federated States of Micronesia are taro, yam, bread-fruit, banana, and coconuts, of which there are hundreds of varieties. The staple foods from the ocean are the many reef and pelagic fish, crabs, shellfish, pig and chicken. Kava kava drink

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Like its other island neighbors, Nauruans consume a large amount of seafood, as well as foods made from coconuts and bananas. Coconut milk is also used extensively in Nauru.
Nauruan cuisine is greatly influenced by Chinese cuisine. The Chinese are the major foreign community of the country.
Nauruan cuisine also shows strong Western influence. more....

New Caledonia is renowned for its cosmopolitan cooking, oscillating between tradition and modernity.
The cuisine is inspired by the different communities living together in New Caledonia : Melanesian, Asian, Wallisian, Tahitian and the very best of French flavours and flair. Just like in France, food, coffee and wine are all important aspects of the local life in this Pacific nation and they take these things very seriously.
Surrounded by the largest lagoon in the world, New Caledonia is heaven for seafood lovers. more....

Cuisine is influenced by the cooking of
Italy
Australia
One of the most popular takeaway foods in New Zealand is the mince pie, a pastry filled with meat and gravy. Depending on the variety, it can also contain onion, cheese and mushrooms.
Classic Kiwi Recipes
• Stuffed Leg of Lamb.
• Kiwifruit, Ginger and Honey Cake.
• Kumara, Parsnip and Taro Chips.
• Lemon Curd and Pomegranate Pavlova.
• Crumbed Fish and Kumara Chips.
• Caramel and Hokey Pokey Tarts.
• Steak and Mushroom Pie. Fish and chips

Meringue pavlova

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Niue is an island in the Southern Pacific, mostly inhabited by Polynesians.
The plantations are mostly filled with manioc, taro and breadfruit, but banana trees can be found. The wide range of exotic plants in Niue includes taros, pawpaw, coconuts, bananas, yams, cassavas and breadfruits: All are intensively used in the local cuisine.
The most significant ingredient when discussing the Niue's recipes are the fish and the vegetables. The staple ingredient is fish. Fish is consumed roasted, grilled, raw, and in soups or stews. There is a wide spectrum of edible and enjoyable fish species: tuna (ahi), dolphinfish (mahi mahi), parrot fish (pakati), barracuda (ono), coconut crabs and crayfish.
In less populated areas, people prefer to eat vegetable meals, like taro roots or manioc.
Nane Pia is one of the few food specialties of the island. It is a translucent porridge made from arrowroot and coconut, and has a thick slimy texture. The taste can be described as somewhat bland with a hint of coconut.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia more....

The cuisine of Northern Mariana Islands is a blend of various influences, such as Chamorro, Spanish, American, Hawaiian, Papuan, Korean, Filipino, and Japanese. The islands are rich in seafood, coconut, and tropical fruits, which are used in many dishes. Some of the local specialties are:

Kelaguen: a dish of chicken, shrimp, fish or beef marinated in lemon juice and fresh coconut, and served with titiyas, a flatbread made from flour or corn.
Tinaktak: a dish of finely ground meat cooked in coconut milk with vegetables.
Estufao: a stewed meat dish similar to Kåddun pika, which is spicy and flavored with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and donni’ peppers.
Apigigi’: a dessert of roasted coconut wrapped in banana leaf.
Guyuria: crunchy cookies made from flour, sugar, and coconut milk, and fried in oil1. The islands also have a variety of international cuisines, such as Korean kimchi, Filipino pancit, and Spanish empanadas1. The canned meat Spam is very popular in the islands, as well as Tabasco sauce.
A traditional condiment of Chamorro dishes is fina’denni’, a sauce made from donni’ peppers, which are a type of hot chili pepper native to the islands1. The sauce can be made with soy sauce and vinegar (dark fina’denni’) or with lemon juice and vinegar (white fina’denni’). Asian crab cakes

Barbecued pork loin

Braised leg of lamb cleopatra

Brochettes of lamb

Caribbean conch stew

Coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce

more....

Palau has its own cuisine, for instance, a dessert called tama.[70] Palauan cuisine includes local foods such as cassava, taro, yam, potato, fish and pork. It is also influenced by neighboring Philippines' cuisine, notably on its Asian-Latin dishes. Fruit bat soup is a commonly referenced Palauan delicacy. more....

Located in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea is closest to Australia to the south and the Solomon Islands to the east. The eastern half of the island is owned by New Guinea and the western portion is a part of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. The majority of the population live in rural areas, many in extreme poverty.
A mountainous country with a tropical climate, the island is one of the most culturally diverse in the world, with 850 indigenous languages and societies. The country also has one of the richest eco-systems in the world, and boasts over 3,000 varieties of orchids along with 9,000 varieties of plants, species of birds and animals, many of which may yet to have been discovered.

Cuisine in Papua New Guinea includes many root vegetables such as taro (yucca), sweet potatoes, palm, bananas, kau, kau, avocado, mango, pineapple and many leafy greens. Chicken, pork and sea food are typically eaten, often wrapped or layer using banana leaves. The traditional diet of Papua New Guinea is largely vegetarian with the population relying heavily on taro roots, sweet potatoes and sago (a starchy substance taken from sago palms). Fruits are also considered a staple of the diet with bananas, coconuts, guavas, pineapples, watermelons, papayas and mangoes often accompanying meals
The traditional Papua New Guinean meals below are based on indigenous ingredients that have been gathered in jungles or grown in home gardens:
Chicken pot: chicken that has been simmered with mixed vegetables and coconut cream. :
Mumu: Pork is roasted in a traditional earth oven and is served with sweet potatoes, rice and vegetables. :
Kokoda Fish: Fish that has been cooked with a lime-coconut sauce. :
Kaukau: Baked sweet potato. :
Sago: The substance gathered from a sago palm is the starch used for making bread and puddings. :
Dia: Sago and bananas cooked with coconut cream. Skillet chicken and rice

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The cuisine of the Pitcairn Islands is not very developed, because only 50 people live there.
The most traditional meal is pota, mash from palm leaves and coconut. Tropical plants are abundantly used. These include: basil, breadfruit, sugar cane, coconut, bananas and beans. Meat includes mainly pork . Fish is also an important the diet of the natives. The cuisine is influenced by British cooking style, for example, the meat pie. Asian crab cakes

Barbecued pork loin

Braised leg of lamb cleopatra

Brochettes of lamb

Caribbean conch stew

Coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce

more....

Traditional Samoan Foods that are Sure to Invade Your Taste Buds
Luau or Palusami – Coconut Milk Baked in Taro Leaves.
• Faiai Eleni – Fish in Coconut Cream.
• Fa'apapa – Sweet Coconut Bread.
• Fa'ausi – Bread Coated with Coconut Sauce.
• Kopai – Sweet Dessert Dumplings from Samoa.
• Pani Popo – Homemade Bread Rolls. Kava kava drink

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Fish is the staple meat in the Solomon Islands cuisine. Usually any meat is cooked and served with sweet potatoes, rice, taro roots, cassava, taro leaves and many other vegetables. Beside the local traditional cuisine many dishes from both European and Asian culture can be easily found and served in any restaurant or household of this country. Asian crab cakes

Barbecued pork loin

Braised leg of lamb cleopatra

Brochettes of lamb

Caribbean conch stew

Coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce

more....

The traditional diet of the Tongan people consisted mostly of taro, yams, bananas, coconuts and of course seafood - the staple of any island nation. As Westerners began to arrive in the 19th and early 20th centuries, so to did new foods.

Some popular dishes include:

Topai: these doughballs are dropped in a kettle of boiling water to cook and are then served with syrup and coconut milk.

Lú: this is a meal prepared for special occasions. Chopped meat is prepared with coconut milk and wrapped in taro leaves which are then wrapped in banana leaves and put in an umu (a traditional underground oven) to cook. There are many varieties of Lú including Lú pulu - made with beef, Lú sipi - made with lamb, Lú moa - made with chicken and Lú ho’osi - made with horse meat.

‘Ota ‘ika: ‘Ota means raw and ‘ika means fish, and that is basically what this meal consists of - raw fish that has been marinated in citrus juice and coconut milk served with mixed vegetables. (For the fish portion, a wide array of seafood can be used such as mussels, prawns, crab, lobster, octopus or squid, sea urchin or eel).

Feke: grilled octopus or squid prepared in coconut sauce.

Kapisi pulu: corned beef and cabbage in coconut cream.

Kava kava drink

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The cuisine of Tuvalu, a state in the Central Pacific (Oceania), is based on the staple of coconut and the many species of fish found in the ocean and the lagoons of the atolls of Tuvalu. Pulaka, (cyrtosperma merkusii), or swamp taro, is an important source of carbohydrates. Rice now forms an important part of the diet. Coconut is used in different forms with coconut water, coconut milk and the flesh of the coconut being used to flavour dishes. Various desserts made on the islands include coconut and coconut milk, instead of animal milk.
Because these islands are isolated, the neighbors' influences are not felt in the Tuvaluan cuisine; because Tuvalu was a British colony during the 19th century, the Tuvalu cuisine includes British elements and meals with the local flavors. more....

Most Popular Vanuatuan Dishes:

Key staples of Vanuatan cuisine include yams, taro, bananas, coconut, tropical nuts, sugarcane, pork, fowl, greens and seafood. Most local families cultivate food in their gardens and food scarcity is a rare occurrence.
Some of the most abundant foods include pineapples, papayas, plantains, sweet potatoes and mangoes.

Ingredients like cream and coconut milk are often added to dishes for flavor and consistency. Foods such as canned fish and rice are considered luxury foods since the locals don’t grow them themselves. Kava kava drink

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Staple foods in Wallis and Futuna include cassava, taro, sweet potatoes, yams and breadfruit. Bread and fish are also eaten. A traditional earth oven, or umu, is used for cooking chicken and pork on special occasions. Fruits grown are bananas, coconuts, mangoes, papayas, pineapples and citrus fruits. more....