Tahiti Islands reclaiming their culinary heritage

Foie gras. Escargots. Steak frites. French Polynesia, located on the Pacific Ocean nearly 26,000km south of Paris, is a place that’s easy to forget. French Polynesia – also called the Islands Tahiti – is an overseas territory of France. However, it continues to receive a great deal of influence from other countries. The government controls the price of baguettes, which is set at 50 Pacific Francs.

But in recent years, young Tahitians have been reclaiming their heritage, putting traditional ingredients like lagoon fish, taro leaf and star apple on the menu, and making them more accessible to their community – as well as tourists.

Heimata, a Moorea native and founder of Tahiti Tours, is one such person. Hall spent five years in Honolulu, working with Ed Kenney at the now-closed Town Restaurant, the leader of the Polynesian “farm-to table” food movement. He returned to his home community with the same “local-first” ethos. Hall wanted to show visitors, bite by bit, that the bounty of his homeland is more than just imported duck confit. He also wanted to highlight the influence of two other cultures on the island, the Native Tahitians as well as the Chinese immigrants who came to work in coffee and sugar plantsations during the 1860s.

Hall said that many people who come to Tahiti tend to stick to the same restaurants. “We were stagnant for some time, and French cuisine was the dominant force. I realized, “Man, there are all these other little things. [Tahitian] Locals are eating in mom-and pop snack shops, but tourists don’t. These places use an incredible variety of ingredients, particularly from the sea. The majority of visitors don’t know they exist.”

Hall will stop by the roadside to sell you ripe soursop, or a crunchy mango flavored with plum powder. It’s as sweet as tart. Then, it’s time to go. roulotte Food truck snack For lunch, you can choose from a Tahitian fusion or Chinese meal at (a casual canteen known for its large portions and low prices). poisson cru Recent catch of raw parrotfish with creamy rich coconut milk ma’a tinito (fatty pork belly with starchy red beans and vermicelli), or – a crowd favourite – chow mein sandwich (exactly what it sounds like, yet more delicious than you could ever imagine).