Food of Marshall Islands

Marshallese food draws on the ocean and the coconut palm, with fish, breadfruit, pandanus, and arrowroot as classic ingredients. Pandanus preserves and coconut sweets are festive treats, and rice is now eaten daily. Grilled and raw fish are often served with coconut and lime.

National dish

Breadfruit with fish

Staples

  • fish, breadfruit, pandanus, coconut, rice, arrowroot

Signature flavors

  • coconut milk, lime, salt, pandanus

Main dishes

Grilled fish

Reef fish on coals.

Key ingredients: fish, salt
Raw fish with coconut

Fish in lime and coconut cream.

Key ingredients: fish, lime, coconut cream
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Boiled, roasted, or fried.

Key ingredients: breadfruitFull guide →
Pandanus preserve

Dried sweet pandanus paste.

Key ingredients: pandanus
Rice with fish

Everyday plate.

Key ingredients: rice, fish
Taro
Taro

Boiled root.

Key ingredients: taro

Breakfast

Arrowroot pancakes

Sweet starchy cakes.

Key ingredients: arrowroot, coconut
Fresh fruit

Banana and papaya.

Key ingredients: banana

Desserts and sweets

Jaankun

Sweet coconut and arrowroot pudding.

Key ingredients: arrowroot, coconut
Coconut candy

Chewy.

Key ingredients: coconut, sugar

Drinks

Coconut water

Fresh.

Key ingredients: young coconut
Jekero

Sweet coconut syrup drink.

Key ingredients: coconut sap

Fruits and produce

Coconut
Coconut

Staple.

Key ingredients: milk, waterFull guide →
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Starchy.

Key ingredients: roastedFull guide →
Pandanus
Pandanus

Sweet.

Key ingredients: dried
Banana
Banana

Cooking and sweet.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →

Dish guides from Marshall Islands

Banana
BananaFruits
Breadfruit
BreadfruitFruits
Coconut
CoconutFruits
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About this page

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

Photo credits
  • Artocarpus altilis (fruit): Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Songe-Réunion: No machine-readable author provided. Thierry Caro assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Pandanus utilis fruit: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)