Food of Nauru

Nauruan cooking draws on the fish of the surrounding ocean, coconut, pandanus, and rice, with canned and imported foods playing a big role because of the island's limited farmland. Fish is eaten raw, grilled, or in coconut cream, and coconut sap is cooked into sweets and syrup.

National dish

Fish with coconut

Staples

  • fish, coconut, pandanus, rice, noodles

Signature flavors

  • coconut cream, lime, salt, soy sauce

Main dishes

Fish in coconut cream

Fish gently cooked in coconut milk.

Key ingredients: fish, coconut cream
Grilled fish

Fresh from the sea.

Key ingredients: fish, salt
Raw fish with lime

Cured and cooled.

Key ingredients: fish, lime, onion
Chicken and rice

Island favorite.

Key ingredients: chicken, rice
Noodle stir-fry

Chinese influenced.

Key ingredients: noodles, vegetables
Boiled breadfruit
Boiled breadfruit

Simple side.

Key ingredients: breadfruitFull guide →

Breakfast

Coconut bread

Soft sweet loaf.

Key ingredients: flour, coconut
Fried fish

With rice.

Key ingredients: fish, rice

Desserts and sweets

Coconut candy

Chewy.

Key ingredients: coconut, sugar
Banana pudding

Sweet.

Key ingredients: banana

Drinks

Coconut water

Fresh.

Key ingredients: young coconut
Sweet coconut sap

Collected from palms and cooked into syrup.

Key ingredients: coconut sap

Fruits and produce

Coconut
Coconut

The main fruit of the island.

Key ingredients: milk, waterFull guide →
Pandanus
Pandanus

Sweet fruit.

Key ingredients: eaten fresh
Banana
Banana

Cooked and fresh.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →

Dish guides from Nauru

Banana
BananaFruits
Breadfruit
BreadfruitFruits
Coconut
CoconutFruits
Explore Nauru on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Micronesia

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)
  • 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)