Vanuatu Recipes
Melanesian islands where the national dish bakes in leaves. Not sure what to eat in Vanuatu? Start with Bunia (Ni-Vanuatu Chicken and Root Crops in Coconut Milk), Simboro, Sweet Banana Laplap and Nalot (Pounded Breadfruit with Coconut Cream). Here are 7 authentic Vanuatu recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
7 recipes
Lap LapEfate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · medium · 2 h 10 minGrated root vegetables and coconut cream wrapped in banana leaf and baked in an earth oven, Vanuatu's national dish.
Lap Lap SimboroEfate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · easy · 45 minGrated cassava rolled in island-cabbage leaves and simmered in coconut cream, Vanuatu's everyday take on laplap.
Nalot (Pounded Breadfruit with Coconut Cream)Efate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · easy · 1 h 5 minRoasted breadfruit pounded to a smooth, heavy paste and served with a well of hot coconut cream poured into the middle.
Sweet Banana LaplapEfate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · easy · 1 h 20 minThe sweet, dessert cousin of Vanuatu's savory national dish: grated cassava and ripe banana bound in coconut cream, wrapped in banana leaves and baked until dense and pudding-like.
Bunia (Ni-Vanuatu Chicken and Root Crops in Coconut Milk)Efate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · medium · 2 h 40 minA big banana-leaf bundle of chicken, taro, kumala and yam layered over island cabbage and soaked in fresh coconut milk, steamed with hot stones in Vanuatu and baked in a covered dish at home.
TulukEfate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · medium · 1 h 40 minGrated cassava wrapped around heavily seasoned pork, bound in leaves and baked, sold by the piece at markets and kava bars.
Aelan Kabis (Island Cabbage in Coconut Milk)Efate (Port Vila), Vanuatu · easy · 25 minIsland cabbage leaves simmered in coconut milk with onion, the everyday green of the Vanuatu table.
📋 Teaching Vanuatu?A free, printable Country of the Week guide for the classroom: geography, a kid-friendly recipe, and discussion prompts.
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