The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Rapa Nui Foods. If you manage to be in an Rapa Nui restaurant or you are visiting Eastern Island, I recommend the following:
1. Tuna Patties
These are delicious tuna empanadas, you can find them fried and baked with different types of tuna-based fillings. The most classic filling is tuna with cheese, although you can find other combinations such as tuna with shrimp, tuna with cheese and tomato, among other variations with or without marine ingredients. It is an ideal option for a delicious breakfast before going on an excursion or for a tasty snack to recharge your batteries.
2. Tuna Carpaccio
One of the most demanded dishes by locals and tourists, this dish, as its name suggests, is based on fresh raw tuna, which is cut into small pieces and marinated with lime and other ingredients that can vary such as soy sauce, chilli, onion, coriander and coconut water. You can find this ceviche in any restaurant on the island, where you will find different variations of this delicacy.
3. Rapa Nui Honey
The island’s honey is considered one of the healthiest in the world. As Easter Island has a subtropical climate with stable temperatures, production is also stable throughout the year. Honey has become a very popular delicacy and, in addition to being healthier, it has many aromatic nuances obtained from tropical fruits grown on the island, such as bananas, pineapples, guavas or mangoes, which are not found in mainland Chile.
4. French Fries with Shrimp
This simple but delicious recipe appears on many restaurant menus in Hanga Roa and is often referred to as “place name potatoes”. It consists of fried potatoes topped with cream sauce or cheese and shrimp. This unusual combination creates a juicy and hearty dish that is perfect as a starter or with a cold beer.
5. Taro with Milk
This is a cold dessert made of shredded taro boiled in milk with honey or sugar, usually served in small bowls as a preserve or chilled in a bottle. It is quite delicious, refreshing and much loved by locals and tourists alike.
6. Po'e
It is a delicious sponge cake made with pumpkin, yellow banana, coconut, flour, butter, milk and sugar. This delicious dessert can be made with pumpkin and banana and even combinations of ingredients with cassava. It is also low in gluten, as it contains low flour content, replaced by banana, pumpkin or cassava, which makes it a very healthy and delicious dessert.
7. Tunu Ahi
The pinnacle of fresh food, fresh from the sea. The tuna is caught and prepared right on the seashore. It is also curious because it is prepared on hot stones so that the fish is not eaten completely raw. A delight for fish lovers.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional South American Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.