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Firi firi is a Tahitian fried dough infused with coconut milk. It is a typical breakfast meal in French Polynesia. The dough is typically made with flour, sugar, coconut milk, yeast, water, and a pinch of salt, and then pieces of it are deep-fried in hot oil until nicely colored and crispy.
Often referred to as Tahitian donuts, firi firi are traditionally formed into a figure-eight, but they are also often made into dough strips. Firm, crispy, and with a mild coconut flavor, this sweet fried pastry is best eaten warm, either dusted with sugar or accompanied by fruit jams and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate on the side.
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Poisson cru is a Tahitian national dish that consists of raw tuna, lime juice, various vegetables, and coconut milk. It is also known as ia ota or e'ia ota, which means raw fish. The dish is prepared by briefly marinating tuna in lime juice, and then coconut milk is added to mellow its acidity.
For a more authentic dish, fresh coconut meat is wrapped in cloth, and the milky juice is then squeezed over the fish and vegetables. Poisson cru is sweet, refreshing, and exotic, and can be found almost anywhere in Tahiti.
Poulet fafa is a traditional Tahitian dish, and it is most commonly used as a part of ahima'a, or pit barbecue. The Hawaiian version of the dish is called chicken luau. Chicken is cut into pieces, fried in hot oil until browned, and then removed.
Onion, garlic, and ginger are sauteed in the remaining oil, then the chicken pieces are added back into the dish and cooked until tender. It is recommended to add cornstarch or arrowroot dissolved in coconut milk into the dish, as it will thicken the sauce.
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Fafaru is a traditional and unusual Polynesian dish. It is distinctive because of its intense aroma of rotten fish. Crushed shrimps are marinated in a glass jar filled with seawater, preferably under the sun, for two or three days. The mixture is filtered, and tuna slices are left in the liquid to ferment for three to eight hours, depending on the desired flavor.
Contrary to its strong smell, fafaru has a slightly sweetish, soft taste. It is best served with bottled mitihue, which is a fermented coconut milk product.
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Poʻe is a Tahitian fruit pudding that consists of a banana purée mixed with brown sugar and arrowroot or cornstarch. The mixture should be baked until the pudding is firm and bubbling. It is served chilled and cut into cubes, topped with a dollop of coconut cream.
Some of the banana can be substituted with papaya, mango, pineapple, or other tropical fruits. This dessert is very popular and often found at traditional Tahitian tamara'a barbecues.
Ma’a Tahiti, meaning Tahitian food, consists of a vast variety of traditional specialties that Tahitians typically prepare for festive occasions and Sunday family gatherings. A traditional Tahitian meal typically includes both raw and cooked food items such as fish, seafood, meat, different root crops (sweet potatoes, yams, and taro), and a variety of exotic fruits and desserts, all of which are usually washed down with Tahitian punch, beer, wine, or coconut water.
Typically, the food is encased in leaves, and it is then prepared in an underground oven called ahima’a, which cooks the food by steaming it to perfection using heated volcanic stones. Once cooked, the dishes are served in containers made of wood or braided leaves, and the food is meant to be eaten with hands.
Tama’ara’a is a traditional Tahitian feast or banquet organized for special occasions, holidays, and celebrations. A vast variety of Tahitian specialties that are part of ma’a Tahiti (a typical Tahitian meal) are offered during the feast, and they are typically washed down with beverages such as punch, beer, wine, and coconut water.
The preparation of copious amounts of food is a whole spectacle in itself as the food is traditionally steamed in leaves in a unique underground oven called ahima’a, which is filled with hot volcanic stones. After having been cooked slowly for several hours, the food comes out tender, flavorful, and fragrant.
The Pahua taioro is an exquisite Tahitian dish that can be based on clams (pahua) soaked in fresh water for a few hours before being combined with taioro, a condiment made by fermenting almonds, grated coconut, seawater, and shrimps.
In the end, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper are added. This dish should be served at room temperature.
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Chevrettes à la vanille et coco or shrimp in coconut-vanilla sauce is a dish specific for the Tahitian cuisine. This highly nutritious appetizer consists of peeled and deveined shrimps, oil, sliced Tahitian vanilla beans, coconut milk, rum, cream, salt, and black pepper.
Shrimps can be replaced with fish or chicken, and the dish is best served with rice or spinach on the side.
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