Article: Tongan Food

 Food in Tonga

Information sourced from CoconetTV

Lu

Lu is a parcel of yummy goodness. It is meat, onions and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves, and trust me - it is delicious! There are different types - you have Lu Sipi, which contains lamb (sipi - sheep) and you have Lu Pulu (pulu - cow). It is usually wrapped in foil, but can also be put in a baking dish. This dish is steamed for 1 ½ - 2 hours. Here is a demonstration on how to make Lu Sipi.

Puaka Tunu

Meat is most definitely enjoyed in Tonga. Lamb, beef, chicken. But they love pig! They quite often cook the pig on the spit. Before they put the pig on to cook, they shave the pig so they don’t have hair on the skin and take the insides out. It is then put on a stick where they get ready to put it over some heat. Some people break a coconut and let the liquid drip over the top of the pig to make it crispy. The puaka is constantly rotated on the stick for 3+ hours until it is cooked. Here is a demonstration on how a pig is cooked on a spit.

‘Ota Ika

Some of you might think this sounds familiar. ‘Ota Ika is raw fish. This dish is a specialty in most of Polynesia. This dish is made with fresh raw fish. It is cut to make sure that there are no bones in the fish. Depending on who makes it, the fish is soaked in a citrus fruit and left to rest. Vegetables are finely chopped and added into the fish, with a good helping of coconut cream. Some people use coconut cream, others use cream. It is definitely a taste thing - go with what you like. Just make sure to season with salt and pepper! Here is a demonstration on how to make ‘Ota Ika.

‘Otai

‘Otai is a fruit-based drink that originates from Tonga. It is made up of fresh summer fruits that have been grated and squeezed to get the freshest flavours. These fruits are typically watermelon, pineapple and coconut. Some people add milk, but because milk isn’t always available in Tonga, they use coconut milk. It is a delicious and refreshing drink, and can be enjoyed with cabin bread - yum! Here is a demonstration on how to make ‘Otai.

Faikakai Topai

Faikakai Topai is a dessert in Tonga. It is sweet, delicious and tasty. They are coconut dumplings smothered in a caramel coconut sauce. The dumplings are made out of a bread-like dough. This dish is full of taste and textures, and not for everyone. Here is a demonstration on how to make Faikakai Topai.