Cuisine of Nauru

The cuisine of Nauru is the traditional cuisine of the island state on the Pacific Ocean. Due to the diversity of the country's inhabitants, the cuisine is highly diverse.

Coconut, one of the staples of the Nauruan people.

Nauru has the world's highest rate of obesity.[1]

Basic foods

Coconut

Like its other island neighbors, Nauruans consume a large amount of seafood, as well as foods made from coconuts and pandanus fruits. Coconut milk is also used extensively in Nauru.

The native Nauruan names of traditional crops are:[2][3]

• epo/épo: Pandanus tectorius
• ini: Cocos nucifera

Influences

Nauruan cuisine is greatly influenced by Chinese cuisine. The Chinese are the major foreign community of the country, and there are a number of Chinese restaurants on the island, most notably in Yaren. In 2010, there were 138 Chinese restaurants in Nauru,[4] in a country of hardly 10,000 people.

Nauruan cuisine also shows strong Western influence.[5]

Traditions

The majority of Nauruans are Christians, and members of the Nauru Congregational Church. They often celebrate Christmas with cakes made from banana and coconut.

Some desserts, such as coconut mousse, are consumed on special occasions.

References

1. Streib, Lauren (2 August 2007). "World's Fattest Countries". Forbes.com. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
2. Wilson, Marisa (2016). Postcolonialism, Indigeneity and Struggles for Food Sovereignty: Alternative food networks in subaltern spaces. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis. p. 130. ISBN 9781317416128. Two fruit trees in particular were also important: epo, the pandanus tree (Pandanus tectorius and Pandanus pulposus); and ini, the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).
3. Elevitch, Craig R. (2006). Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: The Culture, Environment And Use. Honolulu: Permanent Agriculture Resources. p. 789. ISBN 9780970254450.
4. Matthieur, Paley. "A typical Naurauan dish". Matthieur Paley Photography. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
5. "Nauru Travel Profile". Retrieved 29 May 2017.