Fine food in Tahiti and her Islands is typically a natural style of cooking based on fresh products exotically blended. There is a presence of European cuisine within a tropical setting. Asian cooking has also added its own tastes and textures.
Fish of all kinds, whether tuna, bonito, mahimahi or the many varieties of lagoon fish are prepared in many different ways: roasted, boiled and raw.
The top rated dishes are raw fish a la tahitienne which is marinated in lemon juice and coconut milk and the very popular Chinese ma'a tinito (which is a mixture of pork, kidney beans, chinese cabbage and macaroni.)
Family occasions and celebrations are the time for a huge tamara'a Tahiti (Tahitian-style feasts) where a meal consisting of suckling pig, fish, breadfruit, yams and fe'i bananas is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed in an earth-dug oven over layers of hot rocks.
The larger hotels organize big buffet evenings that offer a vast panorama of local culinary delights accompanied by traditional dance performances.
Do note that tipping is not a custom in Tahiti and her Islands.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about French Polynesia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in French Polynesia - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount French Polynesia hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
French Polynesia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
