The cuisine of
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...
has developed over 5,000 years of inhabitation and external influences. From the Spanish, the islands received cattle; from the Asians and Indians, spices, exotic vegetables and fruit.
The islands were later colonies by the English, who left their own culinary mark. The main occupations of the locals are fishing and agriculture, so fish, coconuts,
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
,
sweet potatoes
The sweet potato or sweetpotato ('' Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young sho ...
and a variety of fruits and vegetables figure into the local cuisine.
Fundamentals
Cooking techniques include baking, boiling and frying. Special dishes are made using all kinds of ingredients. Fish is the staple meat in the Solomon Islands cuisine. Usually any meat is cooked and served with sweet potatoes, rice,
taro root
Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...
s, cassava, taro leaves and many other vegetables. Beside the local traditional cuisine many dishes from both European and Asian culture can be easily found and served in any restaurant or household of this country.
Notable dishes
Distinctive dishes of the Solomons include:
*''Ulu'' (
breadfruit), can be served with any dish
* Bananas and other exotic fruits, sometimes wrapped in pearl cassava and served with whipped cream or
caramel
*''
Poi'', made with fermented taro roots; served during any Solomonian celebration. This dish can be served with chicken or fish, or made like a porridge. Also served frequently during holidays is tapioca or pearl cassava, generally served like a pudding.
See also
*
Culture of Solomon Islands
References
External links
{{Oceanian topic, , cuisine