Home Regions Europe France French Polynesia

French Polynesia

French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean. The total land area of French Polynesia is 3,521 square kilometres (1,359 sq mi), with a population of 278,786 (Aug. 2022).

French Polynesia

Featured Dishes from French Polynesia

Beignet

Beignet

Fried dough, may be topped with powdered sugar, serve with coffee

Coffee

Coffee

Crepe

Crepe

Thin pancake, topped or filled with a variety of fillings, sweet or savory

Croissant

Croissant

Flaky, buttery pastry, made with raisins, almonds, chocolate, cream, serve with coffee

Firifiri

Firifiri

Fried dough, doughnut

Riz au lait

Riz au lait

Yaourt

Yaourt

Banana fritters

Banana fritters

Beignet

Beignet

Fried dough, may be topped with powdered sugar, serve with coffee

Crepe

Crepe

Thin pancake, topped or filled with a variety of fillings, sweet or savory

Éclair

Éclair

Oblong-shaped choux pastry filled with cream and topped with chocolate

Firifiri

Firifiri

Fried dough, doughnut

Fondant au chocolat

Fondant au chocolat

A rich chocolate cake, may have a gooey center, similar to moelleux au chocolate cake but not quite as runny

Fruit

Fruit

Gateau

Gateau

Cake, many different types

Gâteau à la banane

Gâteau à la banane

default-pic

Kato

Coconut milk cookies

default-pic

Po'e

Po‘e or poke is a Polynesian pudding usually eaten as a dessert. Traditionally, po'e was made by cooking and mashing bananas into a smooth consistency and mixing together with arrowroot flour. The mixture was wrapped in banana leaves and baked in an earth oven until set into a pudding-like consistency, cut into smaller pieces and served together with coconut cream. Modern versions of the recipe replace bananas with other fruits such as papaya, mango or squash and using cassava or corn starch as the thickening agent.

Riz au lait

Riz au lait

Roasted papaya

Roasted papaya

Soufflé

Soufflé

Baked egg-based dish, may be sweet or savory

Tarte aux fruits

Tarte aux fruits

Pie made with banana, coconut, guava, lime, pineapple

Champagne

Champagne

Sparkling wine produced in Champagne, France, a protected French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée recognized in 121 countries around the world as of 2019

Coconut water

Coconut water

Coffee

Coffee

French wine

French wine

Fruit juice

Fruit juice

Hinano

Hinano

default-pic

Mana'o rhum

default-pic

Manutea rhum

Noni juice

Noni juice

Juice made from Morinda citrifolia fruit

default-pic

Pari Pari rhum

default-pic

Pineapple Factory rum

Tabu

Tabu

default-pic

Tamure rhum

Ti' punch

Ti' punch

Drink made with rum, sugarcane syrup and lime

Vin de Tahiti

Vin de Tahiti

Barracuda

Barracuda

Beef

Beef

Blanquette de veau

Blanquette de veau

Veal stewed in a white sauce with onions and mushrooms

Boeuf bourguignon

Boeuf bourguignon

Beef and vegetables stewed with red wine

Bonito

Bonito

Ceviche

Ceviche

Raw fish, seafood, shrimp, in citrus juice and seasonings

default-pic

Chevrette

Chicken

Chicken

Chow mein

Chow mein

Stir fried noodles with vegetables, meat, seafood

Clam

Clam

Coconut crab

Coconut crab

An endangered species, coconut crabs are large crustacean that primarily feed on coconuts

Crepe

Crepe

Thin pancake, topped or filled with a variety of fillings, sweet or savory

Duck à l'orange

Duck à l'orange

Duck with bitter orange sauce

default-pic

Fafaru

Fish that is marinated in a fermented mixture of seawater and crushed crabs, shrimp or fish

Fish

Fish

Raw, grilled, wrapped in banana leaves and baked, skewered, fried

default-pic

Fish or seafood in vanilla sauce

Grilled fish

Grilled fish

Fish cooked over a flame

Grilled seafood

Grilled seafood

Seafood cooked over a flame

Grouper

Grouper

Lamb

Lamb

Langouste

Langouste

Mahi

Mahi

Mussel

Mussel

Octopus

Octopus

Oyster

Oyster

default-pic

Pahua taioro

Clams with taioro condiment

Parrotfish

Parrotfish

Poisson cru

Poisson cru

Raw fish salad, made with, for example, tuna, marinated in lime/citrus juice and coconut milk, may also be made with, for example, crab, eel, lobster, mussels, prawns, octopus, sea urchin, squid

Pork

Pork

default-pic

Poulet fafa

Chicken with taro greens and coconut cream

default-pic

Pua toro

Corned beef sauteed with vegetables and spices

Ragout

Ragout

Stewed meat, fish, seafood, game, vegetables

Sashimi

Sashimi

Thinly sliced raw fish, commonly served with, for example, soy sauce, daikon, ginger, shiso, sauces, or enhanced with marinades, other types of meat can also be used

Scallop

Scallop

Sea urchin

Sea urchin

Seafood

Seafood

Shrimp

Shrimp

Soufflé

Soufflé

Baked egg-based dish, may be sweet or savory

Steak frites

Steak frites

Steak and fries, typically served with a mushroom, black peppercorn, béarnaise or Roquefort cheese sauce and a good beer

Suckling pig

Suckling pig

Cooked in an earth oven or roasted, serve with fafa

default-pic

Tama'ara'a

Tahitian feast with roast chicken, pork, fish, shellfish, taro leaves, taro and yams, cooked in a hima'a

Tuna

Tuna

Baguette

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Baguette

Long thin French bread, serve with jam, honey, butter, Nutella, use to make sandwiches

Banana

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Banana

Fresh, grilled, in pudding

Carpaccio

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Carpaccio

Appetizer of thinly sliced raw meat or fish, serve with lemon or vinegar, olive oil, white truffle or Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper

Chả giò

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Chả giò

Deep-fried spring roll

Charcuterie

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Charcuterie

Cheese

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Cheese

default-pic

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Christophine gratin

Chayote gratin, squash gratin

Coconut

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Coconut

Coconut rice

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Coconut rice

default-pic

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Fafa

Faraoa coco

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Faraoa coco

Foie gras

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Foie gras

Fattened goose liver or duck liver, for example, seared, poached, served brioche bread with onion confit or fig jam,made into pâté, terrine

Frites

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Frites

Fries, made from breadfruit, cassava, sweet potatoes

Fruit

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Fruit

Avocado, bananas, breadfruit, coconut, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mango, oranges, papaya, pineapple, watermelon

Fruit salad

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Fruit salad

default-pic

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Miti

Hot and sour coconut condiment, made with coconut cream, chili peppers, lemon juice, onions and salt, used with seafood, salad, taro, ulu

default-pic

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Miti hue

Fermented mix of coconut, fresh water and the pounded heads of raw prawns, serve with fafaru

Plantain

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Plantain

Fried, boiled, stewed, fritters, chips, baked, pudding, mashed, grilled

default-pic

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Po'e

Po‘e or poke is a Polynesian pudding usually eaten as a dessert. Traditionally, po'e was made by cooking and mashing bananas into a smooth consistency and mixing together with arrowroot flour. The mixture was wrapped in banana leaves and baked in an earth oven until set into a pudding-like consistency, cut into smaller pieces and served together with coconut cream. Modern versions of the recipe replace bananas with other fruits such as papaya, mango or squash and using cassava or corn starch as the thickening agent.

Poi

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Poi

Fermented paste made from the ground corm of the taro plant

1
2
Next