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Kiribati Recipes

Scattered atolls living on fish, coconut, and swamp taro. Not sure what to eat in Kiribati? Start with Babai with Coconut Fish, Kiribati Palu (Marinated Reef Fish), Buatoro (Pumpkin Coconut Cake) and Kiribati Coconut Rice. Here are 6 authentic Kiribati recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
6 recipes
Babai with Coconut FishTarawa, Kiribati · medium · 90 minGrated giant swamp taro (babai) steamed with coconut cream, served with reef fish poached in coconut.
Kiribati Coconut RiceTarawa, Kiribati · easy · 30 minRice simmered in fresh coconut milk and sweetened with coconut toddy, a soft, fragrant breakfast from the atolls of Kiribati.
Kiribati Palu (Marinated Reef Fish)Tarawa, Kiribati · easy · 25 minRaw reef fish cured in lime and salt, then folded through fresh coconut cream with onion and chili, a bright, no-cook lunch of the atolls.
Buatoro (Pumpkin Coconut Cake)Tarawa, Kiribati · easy · 80 minA moist Kiribati cake of grated pumpkin or swamp taro baked with coconut milk and kamaimai, the islands' dark coconut toddy syrup.
Te Taki (Breadfruit in Coconut Cream)Tarawa, Kiribati · easy · 55 minChunks of starchy breadfruit slow-simmered in rich coconut cream until soft and silky, an everyday Kiribati way with the atoll's most reliable crop.
Te Bua Toro ni BaukinTarawa, Kiribati · easy · 75 minA hearty baked cake of grated pumpkin, shredded cabbage and tinned corned beef, a modern Kiribati staple born of the atoll shop shelf.
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