Portvila Food Culture

Vanuatu's national dish, laplap is a hearty pudding made from grated root vegetables (typically manioc, yam, or taro) mixed with coconut cream and wrapped in banana leaves with meat, fish, or flying fox. It's traditionally cooked in an underground earth oven (lovo) for several hours until it develops a unique cake-like texture with a slightly smoky flavor.

Laplap has been the centerpiece of ni-Vanuatu feasts for centuries, with each island having its own variation. The name comes from the slapping sound made when preparing the starch mixture. It remains the most important ceremonial dish for weddings, celebrations, and traditional gatherings.

The prized coconut crab, one of the world's largest land crustaceans, is grilled or cooked in coconut cream. The meat is sweet, rich, and remarkably tender, with a flavor reminiscent of both crab and coconut. This delicacy is becoming increasingly rare and expensive due to overharvesting.

Coconut crabs have been hunted in Vanuatu for generations, traditionally reserved for special occasions and important guests. The crabs climb coconut palms to feed on the nuts, which gives their meat its distinctive flavor.

Fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut cream with diced vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, and onions. The citrus 'cooks' the fish while the coconut cream adds richness, creating a refreshing dish perfect for the tropical climate.

This Pacific staple shows clear French Polynesian influence and has become a beloved lunch dish in Port Vila. It demonstrates the French influence on Vanuatu's seafood preparation while maintaining Pacific island flavors.

Fresh island cabbage (actually Chinese bok choy, which thrives in Vanuatu) cooked in rich coconut cream, often with garlic and sometimes small pieces of beef or chicken. The dish is creamy, comforting, and showcases the importance of coconut in ni-Vanuatu cooking.

While bok choy was introduced to Vanuatu relatively recently, it has been enthusiastically adopted into local cuisine and is now called 'island cabbage.' It grows prolifically and has become a staple green vegetable in traditional cooking.

Grass-fed beef from Espiritu Santo island, typically grilled or prepared as steak. The beef is renowned throughout the Pacific for its quality, tenderness, and flavor, raised on the lush pastures of Vanuatu's largest island.

Cattle ranching was introduced during colonial times and has flourished on Santo's expansive grasslands. Santo beef has become a point of pride for Vanuatu and is exported throughout the region.

A dense, chewy pancake made from sago palm starch mixed with coconut cream and sometimes banana, wrapped in leaves and cooked. It has a unique glutinous texture and mildly sweet flavor that's an acquired taste for visitors.

Simboro represents ancient Melanesian food preparation methods, as sago palms have been harvested for their starch for thousands of years. The labor-intensive process of extracting sago makes this an increasingly rare traditional food.

Whole reef fish (snapper, parrotfish, or emperor) grilled over open flame or coals, often served with lime and simple seasonings to let the ultra-fresh fish flavor shine. The fish is typically caught the same day and represents the essence of Pacific island dining.

Fishing has sustained Vanuatu's coastal communities for millennia. The simple preparation method honors the quality of the catch and remains the most popular way to enjoy reef fish throughout the islands.

A traditional packet of taro, yam, or manioc combined with chicken, fish, or flying fox, wrapped in banana leaves with coconut cream and herbs, then cooked in the earth oven. Each packet is an individual serving, making it the perfect portable feast food.

Bougna is the traditional method for cooking individual portions at large gatherings, with each family member receiving their own leaf-wrapped packet. The technique ensures even cooking and infuses the food with aromatic banana leaf flavor.

Young taro leaves cooked slowly in coconut cream until tender, creating a spinach-like dish with rich, creamy texture. Often prepared with onions and sometimes small pieces of meat or seafood for added flavor.

Taro has been cultivated in Vanuatu for over 3,000 years, and using the leaves ensures no part of this precious plant goes to waste. The dish showcases traditional ni-Vanuatu resourcefulness and love of coconut cream.

An abundant selection of Vanuatu's incredible tropical fruits: pawpaw (papaya), pineapple, banana, passionfruit, mango, soursop, and the prized island grapefruit. The fruit is exceptionally sweet and flavorful due to volcanic soil and tropical climate.

While not a traditional 'dish,' the abundance and quality of Vanuatu's tropical fruit is legendary. Many varieties grow semi-wild, and the fruit is a daily part of ni-Vanuatu diet and hospitality.

Sweet bread made with fresh coconut cream, giving it a moist, tender crumb and subtle coconut flavor. Often sold as individual rolls or loaves, it's popular for breakfast or as a snack throughout the day.

This represents the fusion of European bread-making techniques with abundant local coconut, creating a uniquely Vanuatu staple that's found in every bakery and market.

While technically a drink rather than food, kava is central to ni-Vanuatu culture. This mildly narcotic beverage is made from the ground roots of the kava plant mixed with water, producing an earthy, slightly numbing drink consumed at nakamals (kava bars) in the evening.

Kava has been used in Vanuatu for thousands of years in ceremonies, social gatherings, and daily relaxation. Port Vila has dozens of nakamals where locals gather at dusk to drink kava and socialize, often with simple food available.