Trying local food has always been an essential part of my travels. They are fun experiences infused with rich culture. In this part of my Easter Island travel series, let's have a little taste of its delightful diet!
If you also love fish, seafood, and exotic fruits, the island would be your culinary paradise. The cuisine includes plenty of local fish and seafood, such as tuna (kahi), mahi-mahi fish, swordfish (kana-kana), sea snails, shrimp, lobster, and octopus (heke). As you can see from my photos here, Mahi-mahi and tuna both made multiple appearances, either as ceviche, sashimi, or grills.
Additionally, the fresh fish/seafood tastes delectable when prepared with coconut milk, lime or pineapple juice and served with fried plantain, steamed taro or sweet potatoes... and rice, rice is nice, at least for me.
Thanks to the abundant supply of fruits such as pineapples, mangoes, guava, avocados, and cherimoya (custard apple), you can enjoy them fresh as well as in juice or flavoured ice cream. Oh, how I miss cherimoya from Latin America!
Since it's a volcanic island, there is a traditional cooking technique utilising volcanic rocks. In the Rapa Nui language, Tunu Ahi means “cooking with heat or fire”. In this method, a fire is lit, and the stones are heated until they are red hot. Following that, the freshly caught fish or other food ingredients are placed on the hot stones to cook. Modern substitutes, such as a grill, are used nowadays. So if you see "Tunu Ahi" on a menu, it usually refers to a roasted or grilled dish.
Easter Island curanto (Umu Rapa Nui) is a traditional dish on the island. The old way of preparation is to fill a large pit in the ground with hot stones or coals and place plantain leaves on top. Food, such as fish and meat, is then placed on the leaves. The vegetables are added last, between layers of leaves on top. Everything is covered in more plantain leaves and cooked.
Although this feast was usually done for special community events, some restaurants, such as Te Ra'ai, offer meals prepared in this manner along with a traditional culture show. In a future post, I will blog about the lively singing and dancing show.
Most restaurants have a typical Polynesian wooden sign with their carved name, like the one of KaiKai, a Tahiti restaurant mentioned in one of my previous posts. I adored the rustic wooden structures, lush banana trees, and fragrant frangipani flowers often featured in those restaurants.
In remote expensive locations like Easter Island, you will need a deep pocket to dine frequently in chic restaurants. But don't worry, there are cheaper snack bars as well. Many of these simple eateries also offer a taste of mainland Chile. A good example is the empanadas. They looked familiar to me because I used to live in Chile where empanadas are rather common. These good old turnovers cost less, while they are still quite filling and flavourful. Various fillings and flavours are available such as meat and cheese ones, and seafood empanadas are naturally the best option on the island.
As we stayed on Easter Island for over a week, I booked a bungalow equipped with a kitchen. Every morning, we enjoyed breakfast cooked with ingredients from local groceries or markets. For lunch, we usually ate at a snack bar while riding around, and we splurged on fancier restaurants for dinner. For a sparsely populated and pricey island destination, I think this is a good mix of value and authentic local food experiences. What are your thoughts? How would you forage for food in a place like this? Please let me know in the comments! :)
复活节岛的在地美食包括丰富的鱼和海鲜类，比如金枪鱼、mahi-mahi鱼、剑鱼、龙虾和章鱼等。从我这里的照片就可以看到，mahi-mahi和金枪鱼都出现了好几次，做法有酸橘汁腌鱼，生鱼片和烤鱼等。
我很喜欢波利尼西亚菜的一大原因是，这些新鲜的鱼肉通常和椰奶或青柠汁菠萝汁之类一起烧制，并搭配白米饭、炸芭蕉、蒸芋头或烤地瓜等一起食用，吃起来清爽又可口。
岛上盛产菠萝、芒果、番石榴、牛油果和番荔枝等，所以这些水果榨汁或果味冰淇淋选择也很多样。写到这里，不禁想念起拉美随处可见的番荔枝，甘甜多汁，流口水中🤤。。。
在这个火山岛上，有项传统的烹饪手法Tunu Ahi就用上了火山岩。先点火把石头加热到发红，再把鲜鱼或其他食材放在滚烫的石头上烤熟。而如今大都已经用烧烤架代替了火山石。因此，菜单上出现的“Tunu Ahi”通常指的是烧烤。
Umu Rapa Nui是岛上的一道传统菜肴。旧时的烹饪方法是在地上的大坑里填上烧热的火山石或煤炭，盖上芭蕉叶后再把鱼和肉等食材铺在叶子上。然后继续盖上芭蕉叶，铺上蔬菜，最后在顶部盖上一层叶子。就这样层层叠叠地把所有东西慢慢熏熟。
这种盛宴通常是为了庆祝传统节日而准备，而一些餐馆，比如Te Ra'ai，也会提供以这种古法烹饪的佳肴，还配以传统的文化表演。这种生动的土著歌舞秀我也看了，以后再来分享勤奋挖坑中。
图文 by Donica，谢谢来访！=)
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Hi there, @itchyfeetdonica. 😃 Easter Island looks splendid, a place I would love to vacation in as well. Incidentally, I love seafood. Whoa, look at all these mouthwatering meals!
Like you, I would source for ingredients from local groceries or markets if I know how to cook their local delicacies. If I don't, I'll rather dine out which means money! 😅
Hey seafood lover 🤝, thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts!
I usually cook some simple meals in an apartment hotel or b&b kind of place with a kitchen, if I stay at an expensive destination for longer.
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Wow this food impressed me to try another culture culinary. I love this.
Glad to hear that! :)
Everything looks delicious and the places are super nice too.
I am from Latin America and I don't know what cherimoya is haha :D, I would like to try it!
I didn't know about the volcanic rocks, how curious
I hope to see more of your travels!!! <3
Haha, Google cherimoya and you will see! I tried it in many countries in Central and South America, so I just used "Latin America".:)
The place and the food feel like a perfect combination, I love to eat in a place where you are comfortable.
Oh yes, the island offers plenty of cozy and exotic foodie spots.
Beautiful place and amazing looking food. Makes me long to be there :D
😁 I feel like going back too. The other Polynesian islands are high on my bucket list!
The food looks divine.
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