What to Eat in Oceania

Oceania spans arid Australian interiors, temperate New Zealand, and tropical archipelagos, creating a pantry led by the sea and resilient crops. Reef fish, tuna, and shellfish anchor coastal diets, while taro, yam, breadfruit, and kumara thrive in volcanic soils.

Earth-oven cooking—known as hāngī, umu, or lovo—sits beside pan-frying, grilling, and baking introduced through colonial contact. Meals are communal and paced by climate: hearty stews and roasts on cool evenings, chilled salads and raw fish in humid heat, and portable snacks for days centered on work or sport.

A hāngī begins with a pit lined with fire-heated stones, into which baskets of food are lowered and sealed under wet sacks and earth. Pork, lamb, chicken, and dense vegetables such as kumara, pumpkin, and potatoes are wrapped in leaves or foil and stacked in wire baskets, then steam-baked for several hours until tender. The result is a smoky, earthy aroma, meat that slips from the bone, and vegetables with a sweet, buttery softness born from slow, enclosed heat. Traditionally prepared for large gatherings on the marae, weddings, and community events, hāngī signals hospitality and whakapapa; in cities it appears at festivals or fundraisers, often using modern hāngī boxes while preserving the communal ritual.

Kokoda uses firm white fish—often walu or mahi-mahi—cubed and marinated in fresh lime or lemon juice until opaque, then drained and mixed with thick coconut milk. Finely chopped onion, tomato, cucumber, spring onion, and green chilli add crunch and heat, while a pinch of salt balances the citrus. The texture is clean and chilled, with a bright acidity cushioned by coconut richness, making it especially refreshing in Fiji’s tropical climate. A staple of coastal iTaukei households and celebratory spreads, kokoda is served as a starter at family gatherings and village events, often in a halved coconut shell; it is most commonly eaten at midday or early evening when the heat favors cool, lightly handled seafood.

Laplap starts with grated root crops—taro, yam, breadfruit, or cassava—spread into a thick paste on banana leaves and doused with fresh coconut cream. Island cabbage (aibika) may be added for greens, and meats like chicken or pork are sometimes layered on top before the bundle is tightly wrapped. The parcels are baked over hot stones or in an underground oven until the edges char slightly and the interior sets into a custard-like slab that is lightly sweet, savory, and smoky. Celebrated as Vanuatu’s national dish, laplap anchors Sunday meals, village ceremonies, and independence festivities, eaten communally in slices and paired with broth or additional coconut cream according to local island traditions.

Palusami is made by stacking young taro leaves, filling them with coconut cream and finely chopped onion, then folding into tight parcels and wrapping in banana leaves. Many families add salted corned beef or fish, reflecting trade-era influences, before baking the bundles in an umu until the leaves turn silky and the filling turns lush and savory. Proper cooking neutralizes the taro leaves’ natural calcium oxalate, yielding a smooth, gently bitter edge balanced by the sweetness and fat of coconut. Central to to’onai, the long Sunday family lunch, and present at fa’alavelave (ceremonial gatherings), palusami is eaten with boiled taro or breadfruit; closely related preparations appear across Polynesia, including Tonga’s lu pulu.

Australia’s meat pie is a palm-sized pastry with a shortcrust base and flaky puff pastry lid encasing beef mince or diced steak in thick gravy, often with onion, pepper, or mushrooms. The base is baked to resist sogginess, the filling is simmered until glossy and cohesive, and a vented lid seals in steam before the pie is browned. Eaten hot with a squeeze of tomato sauce, it delivers a buttery crackle followed by rich, peppery beef—practical to hold and satisfying in cool stadium air. With roots in British pie-making and a long life in bakeries, school canteens, and sporting grounds, it is a day-to-night snack most famously consumed at football matches, yet equally common at roadside stops and community fairs.

Across Oceania, cooking techniques honor land and sea: earth ovens for gatherings, quick grills for reef fish, and coconut-lime cures for tropical heat. Staples like taro, breadfruit, and kumara sit comfortably beside colonial-era pastries and tinned meats, creating a pragmatic, climate-aware table. Explore more regional food insights and weather-smart travel planning on Sunheron.com.