Tahitian Cuisine

Tahitian cuisine blends the fresh bounty of the South Pacific with French culinary influence, making French Polynesia a surprisingly delicious destination. The national dish is poisson cru, or ia ota, fresh raw tuna marinated in lime juice and rich coconut milk with vegetables, the perfect island dish. The traditional feast is the ahima'a, food, from suckling pig to breadfruit and taro, slow-cooked in an underground oven of hot stones. Fresh lagoon and ocean fish, tropical fruit, and the islands' world-famous, intensely fragrant Tahitian vanilla feature widely, while the French legacy brings excellent baguettes, and the lively roulottes, food trucks, serve everything from crepes to chow mein by the waterfront.

What you actually see

• Poisson cru (ia ota) - the raw fish in coconut cream and lime.
• The ahima'a feast - the food cooked in the earth oven.
• The roulottes - the waterfront food trucks of Papeete.
• Tahitian vanilla - the world-famous fragrant vanilla.

When to go

Year-round; the colourful Papeete market and the lively roulottes, food trucks gathering by the waterfront each evening, are the place to sample poisson cru, grilled fish and island-French fare affordably, a highlight amid the archipelago's high prices. The traditional ahima'a feast is often laid on at cultural events and resorts.

Honest expectations

Dining in French Polynesia is famously expensive, as much is imported to the remote islands, so eating well can be costly, though the wonderful roulottes food trucks and the market offer excellent, affordable fresh food; resort dining is pricey. As a genuinely delicious fusion of fresh South Pacific ingredients and French finesse, though, from the beloved poisson cru and the earth-oven feast to fresh lagoon fish and world-famous vanilla, Tahitian cuisine is a real and underrated highlight of the islands.

Nearby

The Papeete market and roulottes and the island restaurants are the places to eat.