Samoan Cuisine

Samoan cuisine is the wholesome, communal food of Polynesia, rooted in the land and sea and the age-old traditions of fa'a Samoa. At its heart is the umu, an above-ground earth oven of hot volcanic stones in which food is slow-cooked to smoky tenderness, especially for the Sunday to'ona'i feast. Staples are the starchy roots and fruits of the islands, taro, breadfruit and green bananas, alongside fresh fish and seafood from the reef, and pork and chicken. Coconut is everywhere, above all in the beloved palusami, young taro leaves baked in rich coconut cream, and in oka, fresh fish marinated in coconut and lime. Generous, shared and deeply tied to community and church, Samoan food is heartfelt island fare.

What you actually see

• The umu feast - the traditional earth-oven Sunday to'ona'i.
• Palusami - the taro leaves baked in coconut cream.
• The taro and breadfruit - the starchy island staples.
• Oka - the fresh fish marinated in coconut and lime.

When to go

Year-round; Samoan food is enjoyed across the territory, with the umu earth-oven feast most cherished at the Sunday to'ona'i, the great weekly family meal after church. The umu-cooked dishes, coconut-rich palusami and fresh oka are the signatures to seek out.

Honest expectations

The finest Samoan food centres on the family umu feast, especially on Sundays, which visitors may need an invitation or a cultural event to fully share, though island staples and fresh fish are widely available. As the wholesome, communal earth-oven cuisine of Polynesia, from smoky umu feasts to coconut palusami and fresh oka, though, Samoan food is a genuinely warm and heartfelt tradition.

Nearby

The villages and eateries of Tutuila serve it.