A gastronomic journey

Discover traditional Marquesan cuisine

Let’s eat!

Typical dishes to eat without moderation

In the Marquesas Islands they eat well. Very well. Goat, wild boar, breadfruit, manioc, poisson cru… “Bon appétit!”

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"Kaikai meitai" means “enjoy your meal” in Marquesan.

Kaaku and ika mito...Excuse me?

There’s a lot on the menu in the Marquesas Islands, but there are two dishes that you really should try. The first is ika mito. It’s the Marquesan version of a poisson cru. Cut the fish into small pieces and marinate it in salt water and garlic for an hour at room temperature. Then drain the fish, cover it with coconut milk and serve with rice!

Another typical Marquesan dish is kaaku, based on ‘uru, (breadfruit). First, you cook the ‘uru over a wood fire. Once it’s well blackened on the outside, peel off the skin and place the cooked fruit in an umete (wooden bowl). Pound the fruit into a smooth paste with a penu (stone pestle) and serve with coconut milk. Kaikai meitai !