What to Eat in Vanuatu

Set in the tropical South Pacific, Vanuatu’s food culture grows from volcanic soils, heavy rainfall, and abundant reefs. Home gardens yield taro, yam, manioc, bananas, and coconuts, while small-scale fishing and pig or chicken husbandry sustain everyday meals.

Cooking favors earth-oven baking, gentle boiling, and steaming in banana leaves, with coconut cream (lolo) shaping flavor and texture. Meals are communal, markets set the rhythm in Port Vila and Luganville, and seasonal harvests guide what appears on the table.

Often called the national dish, lap lap begins with grated taro, yam, or manioc mixed or layered with salted coconut cream and sometimes aelan kabis (island cabbage) or protein such as pork, chicken, or reef fish. The mixture is packed into banana leaves, wrapped into a flat parcel, and baked over hot stones in an earth oven until the starch sets and the leaves release a faint, smoky aroma. Dense yet tender, it slices like a custard-like slab with creamy richness and mild sweetness from coconut, and it anchors ceremonies, Sunday gatherings, and community feasts across the islands where it is typically served at midday or shared for a communal evening meal.

Originating on Tanna, tuluk encloses a savory pork filling inside a casing of grated cassava seasoned with salt and sometimes spring onion or mild island chili. The torpedo-shaped parcels are bundled in banana leaves and baked on hot stones or tightly covered and steamed, letting the pork render into the cassava so the crust turns slightly translucent while staying chewy. Compact, hearty, and portable, tuluk is now common at roadside and market stalls from Tanna to urban centers like Port Vila and Luganville, eaten warm or at room temperature for lunch or as a late-morning snack, and prepared in bulk for festivals and community events.

Simboro uses aelan kabis leaves as wrappers around a filling of grated green bananas or cassava, occasionally taro, with a pinch of salt and sometimes chopped onion. The rolls are laid in a pot and gently simmered in lolo until the greens soften and the filling absorbs coconut, producing tender bundles with a clean, leafy aroma, a mild sweetness from the starch, and a pleasantly creamy sauce. A thrifty, nourishing staple in household cooking across many islands, simboro appears at breakfast or afternoon tea and pairs well with brewed local tea or fresh coconut water, reflecting the garden-to-pot rhythm that defines everyday Vanuatu meals.

Nalot is a pudding-style dish made by mixing grated cassava or yam with coconut milk, sometimes enriched with mashed ripe banana for gentle sweetness or kept savory with salt. It is cooked in a covered pot over the fire or baked in a leaf-lined earth oven until set, then topped with more warm lolo for a glossy finish and a soft, spoonable texture. Widely prepared for community gatherings, during the yam harvest, and at life-cycle events, nalot is served warm in large bowls for families to share in the evening, its simple ingredients and smooth mouthfeel making it a reliable crowd dish across the archipelago.

Coastal households commonly poach reef fish such as trevally or parrotfish in coconut milk seasoned with sea salt, ginger, spring onion, and sometimes a touch of turmeric or mild chili. The fish is briefly marinated with salt and citrus, then gently simmered in lolo until just cooked, yielding tender flakes in a silky, lightly sweet sauce that carries delicate ocean notes rather than heavy spice. Served with boiled taro, yam, or rice in towns, this dish expresses the close link between reef stewardship and daily cooking, and it is a favored family dinner or Sunday lunch in both village kitchens and urban homes in Port Vila and Luganville.

Vanuatu cuisine balances garden staples and reef harvests with time-tested techniques like earth-oven baking and leaf cookery. Coconut cream ties flavors together, while root crops provide satisfying structure in meals shared at home and in community gatherings. Explore more culinary guides and weather-smart trip ideas on Sunheron to plan your tastiest island itinerary.