Tuvalu: Coconut Crab, Meata Lolo (Pacific Island Tuna Ceviche), Pumpkin Kao and Coconut Rice

Tuvalu  is a tiny chain of  palm-fringed Polynesian islands, coral atolls and reefs scattered across one of the most remote parts of the Globe. Located half way between Australia and Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean the tropical waters around Tuvalu are teaming with diverse marine life.  With a total land area of just 26² km Tuvalu is one of smallest  independent countries in the World, and with its highest elevation being barely 5 metres above sea level Tuvalu is also one of the lowest lying countries on Earth. And although it’s a snorkeler’s paradise, due to its isolation Tuvalu is the least visited country on Earth. 

 

But that was not the case in the past. Tuvaluans have occupied these islands for thousands of years and in pre-European-contact times their Ancestors regularly used powerful double-hulled canoes and expert knowledge of the stars and ocean currents to  visit and receive visitors from their Pacific Island neighbours especially Tonga and Samoa. These inter-island voyages built culinary linkages between Tuvalu and its seafaring neighbours especially in the ways  key ingredients such as seafood, coconut, taro and pork were/are cooked. 

 

The Tuvaluan people their food culture and Island nation are now facing the monumental threat of being engulfed by the ocean that they have mastered, cared for and used as their  watery super-highway and food cupboard for more than 3000 years. These low-lying islands have almost no fresh water so salination of their ground water would make farming of important foods such as coconut and taro impossible. With sea levels rising Tuvalu is likely to be one of the first nations in the World  to be significantly impacted by climate change. To find out more https://www.adaptation-undp.org/explore/polynesia/tuvalu

 

Our 

TUVALUAN

menu included

 

CRAB IN COCONUT CREAM

MEATA LOLO (TUNA CEVICHE)

PUMPKIN KAO

and

COCONUT RICE

with a side of fresh banana

 

COCONUT CRAB 

This is not a recipe for cooking the species of crab known in the Pacific Islands as Coconut Crab. Rather, it is a recipe for cooking crab in coconut cream

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      2 x fresh large saltwater crab, cleaned with backs off (we used Mud Crab) 

·      2 cups fresh grated coconut (or packaged moist shredded coconut) 

·      3 cans coconut cream

·      ½ tbs salt (or to taste)

·      1 tsp Toddy (Coconut Palm Sap) or replace with brown sugar

·      ½ ltr water

 

TIP: Preparing green crabs for this dish is quite challenging so best to get your fish monger to do this for you if possible. If you caught the crabs yourself and want to do it from scratch  send me a comment and I will talk you through it.

 

METHOD:

·      Wash crabs in salted water and if necessary scrub their shells clean 

·       Pack the crab backs with shredded coconut (some coconut will be left)

·      Place crabs in a pot upside down. If cooking two big crabs choose a large pot or oval Dutch oven so the crabs can sit side-by-side to evenly cook

·      Mix water, coconut cream, Toddy, salt and leftover shredded coconut and pour over the crabs in the pot

·      Bring to the boil and turn back to the simmer (cook for a total of 15 mins)

·      After 7 minutes turn the crabs over (to ensure they cook evenly)

·      After another 8 minutes the crabs should have turned red and be cooked

·      remove the crabs from the pot and chill in the fridge until ready to serve

 

NOTE: Reserve the  liquid in the cooking pot to be used to cook the coconut rice

 

MEATA LOLO (TUNA CEVICHE)

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      500 gm Raw Tuna (Yellowfin, Skipjack Bonito or Big Eye)

·      2 limes/lemons, juice and pulp

·      ½ cup coconut cream

·      2 large tomato, diced

·      ¼ cup red onion, green onion or shallots, finely diced

·      1 cup cucumber, diced

·      salt to taste

 

METHOD:

1.    Cut fish in small bight size cubes

2.    Mix the fish in a bowl with salt, lime juice and pulp and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour stirring every 15 mins to ensure even ‘cooking’ of the fish by the acid of the lime

3.    When ready to serve mix the marinated Tuna with the chopped tomato, cucumber and onion

4.    Now fold in the coconut cream

5.    Taste the mix and if necessary add a little more salt or lime

 

PUMPKIN KAO

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      1 Small Pumpkin (this recipe can also be made with taro root)

·      1 can coconut cream (or 1 ½  cups fresh coconut cream)

·      1 ½ cup water 

·      1 tsp Toddy (Coconut Palm Sap) or replace with brown sugar

·      1 tsp salt

 

METHOD:

1.    Wash pumpkin, cut in half and clean out seeds

2.    Leave the skin on and cut the pumpkin into 2cm chunks

3.    Place the pumpkin into a medium large pot with the water, coconut cream, toddy and salt and bring to the boil

4.    Turn heat back and simmer until pumpkin is just cooked (about 15 mins)

5.    Ladle pumpkin out of the pot, put it aside in a dish and cover to keep warm

6.    Bring the coconut liquid in the pot back to the boil and cook for another 2 mins or so to thicken the liquid then pour it over the pumpkin and serve

 

COCONUT RICE

 

INGREDIENTS:

·      2 cup basmati rice

·      4 cups liquid (coconut liquid from cooking crabs or coconut milk)

·      ½ tsp salt

 

METHOD:

1.     If you are using the coconut water leftover from cooking the crabs (which will be fantastic as it is crab flavoured), measure it to make sure you have 4 cups of liquid. If it is less than 4 cups top it up with water to make 4 cups 

2.     Put the rice in a colander and wash in clean running water then drain

3.     Combine the rice, coconut liquid and salt in a medium/large pot (that has a tight-fitting lid) and stir it all well with a wooden/bamboo spoon 

4.     Bring the pot to the boil stirring often and scrapping the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon to stop the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot

5.     Once the liquid is boiling give it a last stir and turn the heat down to low

6.     Put a lid on the pot and cook for 10 minutes on low

7.     Now turn the heat off (don’t remove the lid until ready to serve), and leave the pot to sit on the cooling element for another 10 minutes

8.      When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff the rice with the spoon

 

NOTE: The reason I recommend using a wooden or bamboo spoon when cooking this recipe is because spoons made from wood or bamboo impart subtle yet valuable earthy flavours and fragrance to the rice that metal spoons don’t.

 

 

These are  all Q-ZINE original recipes informed by multiple sources including:

https://livelearn.org/assets/media/docs/resources/Tuvalu_Cookbook_Final_LR.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/105794584461463/posts/day-146-tuvalu-meaota-lolo-with-falifu-talo-tuvalu-was-a-tricky-one-for-me-there/172003391173915/

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Tuvaluan_cuisine

https://tuvalufisheries.tv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/TFD-ANNUAL-REPORT-2020-FINAL.pdf