Tahiti

Po'e (POH-eh) is a popular fruit pudding found at all traditional Tahitian tamara'a barbeques. Originally the pudding was wrapped in banana leaves and baked in the fire pit. This simple baked version is easier in the modern kitchen. Read more »

This famous Tahitian dish is similar to Latin ceviche or Hawaiian poke. It differs primarily in the addition of coconut milk, which softens its flavor. Poisson cru only marinates very briefly so the lime juice doesn't have time to "cook" the inside of the fish. The Tahitian name for poisson cru is e'ia ota. The same dish is called oka i'a in Samoa. Read more »

Poulet fafa is a traditional part of a Tahitian ahima'a, or pit barbeque. If using taro leaves, make sure to follow the initial step to avoid a mouth on fire. The leaves must be cooked in saltwater first to remove irritating cacium oxalate from the leaves. Taro leaves can be fairly difficult to find, so spinach is a perfectly respectable substitute. The Hawaiian version of the dish is called chicken luau. Read more »