Food of Tokelau

Tokelauan food is drawn from the atoll and the sea: fish (especially tuna), coconut, breadfruit, pandanus, and taro. Coconut cream is used in many dishes, and meals are shared communally, often with imported rice and canned foods. Fresh fish is the main protein.

National dish

Fresh fish

Staples

  • fish, coconut, breadfruit, taro, pandanus, rice

Signature flavors

  • coconut cream, lime, salt

Main dishes

Raw fish with coconut

Fish cured in lime and cream.

Key ingredients: fish, lime, coconut cream
Grilled tuna

Fresh from the reef.

Key ingredients: tuna
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Roasted.

Key ingredients: breadfruitFull guide →
Taro in coconut cream
Taro in coconut cream

Boiled.

Key ingredients: taro, coconut cream
Rice and fish

Everyday.

Key ingredients: rice, fish

Breakfast

Fried bread

With tea.

Key ingredients: flour
Boiled breadfruit

Simple.

Key ingredients: breadfruit

Desserts and sweets

Coconut pudding

Sweet.

Key ingredients: coconut
Banana cake

Soft.

Key ingredients: banana, flour

Drinks

Coconut water

Fresh.

Key ingredients: young coconut
Tea

Sweet.

Key ingredients: tea

Fruits and produce

Coconut
Coconut

Staple.

Key ingredients: milkFull guide →
Breadfruit
Breadfruit

Starchy.

Key ingredients: roastedFull guide →
Pandanus
Pandanus

Sweet.

Key ingredients: eaten fresh
Banana
Banana

Fresh.

Key ingredients: eaten freshFull guide →

Dish guides from Tokelau

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)