The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Cook Islander Foods. If you manage to be in an Cook Islander restaurant or you are visiting Cook Island, I recommend the following:
1. Poke
Poke is a traditional Cook Islands recipe for a classic dessert of cooked bananas mixed with milk, thickened with arrowroot and sweetened with sugar, baked and served in coconut milk. Arrowroot can be substituted with an equal amount of cornstarch. It is often eaten as a side dish instead of bread or potatoes, but is also excellent as a dessert.
2. Ika Mata (Raw Fish)
Ika Mata is a traditional dish from the 15 beautiful Cook Islands made from raw fish, usually tuna fillet, marinated in a mixture of lime (or lemon) and coconut milk and garnished with raw vegetables, making it a very fresh and pleasant dish to enjoy during the summer. Ika mata can be enriched with more raw vegetables such as cherry tomatoes and can also be garnished with fresh herbs such as finely chopped mint, chives or coriander.
3. Coconut Water
A real local drink is coconut water, sweet and refreshing on a hot tropical day. The ceros (small coconuts) are green, drinkable nuts that still hang from the trees. Older yellow nuts fall from the tree and are used for meat. This drink is truly refreshing, perfect for a day at the beach.
4. Rori
Another traditional Polynesian delicacy worth trying is Rori, also known as sea cucumber. There is no shortage of these foods in the Cook Islands either, as you may have noticed during your snorkelling expedition, because the locals cook them. Rori requires some skill to prepare and cook, but when done well, it imparts a salty and sweet flavour. It is usually made with garlic, butter and herbs.
5. Rukau
Rukau is based on tender taro leaves cooked in coconut milk and caramelised onions. Taro leaves grown in this way are not only nutritious but also delicious. Rukau is an excellent accompaniment to corned beef or grilled fish, or simply dipped in a bowl for a delicious vegetarian meal.
6. Curried Eke (Octopus in Coconut Curry)
Another great Cook Islands dish is Eke curry, which consists of squid served in the shape of an island (delicious in its own right). These ingredients are fairly simple, but work very well together. The prepared squid are boiled again in coconut cream and onions, sprinkled with aromatic spices, garlic and spices. This rich, creamy curry is often served with fluffy white rice to soak up the sauce.
7. Bush Beer
Bush brewing is a two-century-old tradition in the Cook Islands: beer made from fermented fruits, sugar, malt and hops is traditionally served at secret community gatherings known as ‘tumunus’. Hidden deep in the jungle, the drinking clubs are named after fermentation vessels carved from the roots of coconut trees.
8. Cooks Lager Brewery
This lager has a medium white head, is passionately brewed to provide a bright light amber colour and is made with the highest quality ingredients. It has quickly become a local icon, rapidly gaining popularity with locals and tourists alike. The idea is simple: to produce high quality beer that can compete with the best in the world. No doubt the locals are proud to call it their own.
9. Umu
It is a smoky, spicy yet sweet fragrance with a seductive coconut note that has been around since the Samoans inhabited the island for over 3000 years. You’ll find that cooking equipment can be in very short supply, so umu remains the basic method of cooking. Variations of umu can be found throughout the Pacific, such as hangi in New Zealand, but each has its own unique style. Because umu takes a long time to prepare, it is not exactly improvised cooking, and one umu can feed many people in a family or village.
10. Mai
Matutu Brewery is the only working brewery in the Cook Islands producing Mai Lager and Kiva Pale Ale. Bottles are collected and recycled, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the ingredients arrive in time from their home country of New Zealand. Nice to taste local beer in paradise. Sometimes limited edition seasonal beers are also on tap, often available from small breweries.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Oceanian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.