Food of French Polynesia

French Polynesian food pairs fresh Pacific fish, coconut, and tropical fruit with French baking and sauces. Raw fish in coconut milk, breadfruit, taro, and vanilla from Tahiti feature widely, and the earth oven (ahima'a) is used for feasts. Baguettes and croissants appear next to poisson cru at everyday tables.

Poisson cru
National dish

Poisson cru

Raw tuna cured in lime juice and coconut milk with vegetables.

Staples

  • tuna, coconut, breadfruit, taro, vanilla, rice

Signature flavors

  • coconut milk, lime, vanilla, cucumber, ginger

Main dishes

Poisson cru
Poisson cru

Raw tuna cured in lime juice and coconut milk with vegetables.

Key ingredients: tuna, lime, coconut milk, cucumber
Chao men

Stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables.

Key ingredients: noodles, pork, cabbage
Fafaru

Fermented fish dish, a traditional specialty.

Key ingredients: fish, seawater
Poulet fafa

Chicken with taro leaves in coconut milk.

Key ingredients: chicken, taro leaves, coconut milk
Ma'a Tahiti

Traditional feast with pork and breadfruit.

Key ingredients: pork, breadfruit, banana
Mahi mahi

Grilled with vanilla sauce.

Key ingredients: fish, vanilla, cream
Pork ahima'a

Earth-oven pork.

Key ingredients: pork, banana leaves
Steak frites

French influenced classic.

Key ingredients: steak, fries

Breakfast

Baguette
Baguette

Fresh bread with jam.

Key ingredients: flour, butterFull guide →
Pain au chocolat
Pain au chocolat

Buttery pastry with chocolate.

Key ingredients: butter, chocolate
Tropical fruit plate

Pineapple and papaya.

Key ingredients: pineapple, papaya
Firifiri

Tahitian doughnuts.

Key ingredients: flour, coconut milk

Street food

Roulottes
Roulottes

Food trucks serving steak, fish, and chow mein.

Key ingredients: fish, steak, noodles
Coconut bread

Local sweet loaves.

Key ingredients: flour, coconut
Fried fish

Fresh fish with fries.

Key ingredients: fish
Crepes
Crepes

Sweet French pancakes.

Key ingredients: flour, eggFull guide →

Soups

Fish soup

Light coconut broth.

Key ingredients: fish, coconut
Taro soup

Hearty taro soup.

Key ingredients: taro, coconut milk

Salads

Poisson cru salad
Poisson cru salad

Raw fish with vegetables.

Key ingredients: tuna, cucumber, coconut milk
Cucumber salad

Fresh and light.

Key ingredients: cucumber

Desserts and sweets

Po'e

Baked fruit pudding with coconut cream.

Key ingredients: banana, papaya, tapioca starch
Firifiri

Sweet fried dough.

Key ingredients: flour, coconut
Vanilla ice cream

With local vanilla.

Key ingredients: vanilla, cream
Tropical sorbet

Pineapple, passion fruit.

Key ingredients: fruit, sugar
Coconut cake

Moist and sweet.

Key ingredients: coconut, flour

Drinks

Coconut water

Fresh.

Key ingredients: young coconut
Tropical juices

Pineapple, guava.

Key ingredients: pineapple, guava
Vanilla tea

Fragrant tea.

Key ingredients: vanilla, tea
Coffee

French style.

Key ingredients: coffee
Noni juice
Noni juice

Traditional drink from noni fruit.

Key ingredients: noni

Fruits and produce

Vanilla
Vanilla

Famed Tahitian vanilla.

Key ingredients: desserts, sauces
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Roasted or fried.

Key ingredients: roastedFull guide →
Coconut
Coconut

Milk and water.

Key ingredients: milkFull guide →
Pineapple
Pineapple

Sweet Moorea pineapple.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Banana
Banana

Fe'i bananas are a local variety.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Papaya
Papaya

Fresh and ripe.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →
Noni
Noni

Tropical fruit with a strong smell.

Key ingredients: juice

Dish guides from French Polynesia

Baguette
BaguetteBreads
Banana
BananaFruits
Breadfruit
BreadfruitFruits
Coconut
CoconutFruits
Crepe
CrepeDesserts and sweets
Papaya
PapayaFruits
Pineapple
PineappleFruits
Explore French Polynesia on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Polynesia

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Poisson cru au lait de coco: Eric Chan, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Baguettes, Paris, France - panoramio: Nick Thweatt, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Pain au chocolat Luc Viatour: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Caravan: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Crepes dsc07085: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia): Wilfredor, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Vanilla planifolia (6998639597): Malcolm Manners from Lakeland FL, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Artocarpus altilis (fruit): Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)