The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Palauan Foods. If you manage to be in an Palauan restaurant or you are visiting Palau, I recommend the following:
1. Ulkoy
Palau’s prawn and pumpkin fritters are fried on the outside with a crispy texture. In Palau, they are a national favourite and a tourist delicacy. These slabs are often seasoned with tasty Creole seasonings, salt, cayenne and freshly chopped parsley.
2. Udon
These thick, chewy noodles from Japan are made from wheat flour. The noodles are traditionally eaten with chopsticks and then swallowed while eating. If served in broth, the liquid can be drunk directly from the bowl without utensils.
3. Tinola
The word tinola means a large family of hearty Filipino soups made with a savoury broth topped with garlic, ginger and fish sauce. The soup is usually made with chicken, but pork and seafood are also popular. Tinola soup can be added to a variety of meat and seafood ingredients, often made with green papaya or chayote and chilli.
4. Tama
Tama is a Palauan delicacy that is made from eggs, milk, flour, sugar and salt. The dough is generally seasoned with herbs and fried in hot oil until golden brown. These delicious fritters, usually spherical in shape, are characterised by a sweet taste, a soft, airy interior and a crispy exterior.
5. Halo-Halo
It is a summer dessert or snack of mixed fruits and legumes topped with crushed ice and milk or ice cream. Some of the most common halo-halo toppings include bananas, jackfruit, coconut, sweet potatoes, red mung beans, chickpeas, palm nuts, purple yam jam, leche flan and, more recently, even sweet corn or potato, corn flakes.
6. Broiled Fish
Palauan-style grilled fish is an excellent main dish for any occasion. Apparently, fish is the staple food of the island nation of Palau. Pacific red snapper, such as silk snapper, is most often used in this dish. But any fish swimming in the waters of the Pacific Ocean can be used to prepare authentic Palauan dishes. This was cooked wrapped in banana leaves and gave a wonderful flavour to the fish.
7. Taro Rösti
Rösti is a term used mainly in German-speaking Switzerland to refer to small potato pancakes. Now the people of Palau have adopted the German term and recipe, substituting potatoes for taro root. The taro root is peeled, ground and mixed with onion, salt and pepper until smooth. It is then fried in oil on both sides until golden brown and served hot, making it a quick meal or a tasty side dish.
8. Pichi-Pichi
This is a dessert that originated in the Philippines and consists of three main ingredients: grated tapioca, sugar and water. Steam the mixture until it has a firm, sticky consistency, then top with desiccated coconut. This dessert is especially popular for snacks, parties and celebrations.
9. Fruit Bat Soup
Fruit bat soup is a Palauan delicacy made from small fruit bats that inhabit the forested treetop areas. The soup is prepared by boiling clean bats in water and adding ginger, coconut milk and various spices (often vegetables) according to the chef’s preference. It is usually served in a large bowl with the bat facing you, and the correct way to eat it is to chew the bat, sucking out the meat and discarding the excess skin. Since late 2019 it has become a controversial food because of its possible (but unconfirmed) connection to the coronavirus.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Oceanian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.