Poisson cru(ia ota) is Tahiti’s national dish and is served in almost every restaurant. A delicious dish of raw fish, a mixture of fresh vegetables and salad, all coated with coconut milk and a squeeze of lemon. A treat!
No amura’a(meal) is complete without a dessert, and in Tahiti the speciality is poe. This deliciously sweet and tasty pudding is made from taro root flavored with banana, vanilla, papaye or pumpkin and swimming in a coconut milk sauce.
Roulottes(food trucks), such as those parked close to the quayside in Papeete, are as much a part of Tahitian culture as ukuleles and flowery shirts. The meals are copious and reasonably priced, and the ambience is convivial and typically Polynesian. Residents and tourists alike flock to the roulettes every evening to choose from a large selection of dishes, including grilled food, pancakes, pizzas, chow mein, steak and fries…etc.
The most typical Tahitian meal is called the Tama’ara’a. Grilled pork and chicken with all different kinds of fish served in all different kinds of sauces, plantain bananas and root vegetables, all cooked in an ahima’a (earth oven). Also on the menu, traditional music and dances. Bon appétit!
