.jpg) Various Marshallese dishes | |
| Country or region | Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| National dishes | Barramundi cod,macadamia nutpie |
| National drink | Coconut water |
| Culture of the Marshall Islands |
|---|
 |
| History |
| Languages |
| Cuisine |
| Religion |
| Music |
| Sport |
Monuments |
Marshallese cuisine comprises the fare, foods, beverages and foodways of theMarshall Islands, including its food-related customs and traditions.[1][2] Common indigenous and traditional foods include breadfruit, coconut, bananas, papaya, seafood,pandanus and bwiro (fermented breadfruit and coconut milk). Additional imported foods, such as rice and flour, are also a part of people's diets and contribute to the cuisine as well. The practice of food preservation is a part of the history of the islands, and continues to occur today.
.jpg)
Foods and dishes consumed on the Marshall islands includesbreadfruit, bananas, coconut, papaya, rice and rice dishes such as sticky rice balls,seafood,[3] fish and fried fish,coconut crab,[4] chicken, pork, clams, sashimi, sea turtles andcoconut water.[5] Breadfruit is astaple food,[a] as is fish, with an average Marshallese fish consumption amount consisting of 240 pounds annually.[5] Fishing is a common activity on the islands, and there are 50 various phrases and words in theMarshallese language devoted to fishing techniques alone.[5] Several foods, such as rice, flour, sugar and tea, are imported into the islands, and are sometimes used to supplement foods that are indigenous to the islands.[2]
Foods play a significant role in celebrations and special events on the islands.[1] In Marshallese culture, it is a custom for foods to be provided to theIroij, chiefs in the Marshall Islands, as a form of recognition and respect.[1]
Some traditional foods and dishes includepandanus, breadfruit, includingbwiro, a breadfruit dish consisting of breadfruit paste that is fermented, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an underground oven, roasted breadfruit and mashedtaro root.[5]Copra, the dried meat or kernel of the coconut, is a significant export of the Marshall islands, and is used to make oil by pressing.[5]
In Marshallese culture, akemem is a celebration party that commences upon a child's first birthday.[5] Atkemems it is traditional for a plethora of Marshallese and other various foods and dishes to be served, and along with food consumption, guests are typically encouraged to take some sort of household item from the home of the party.[5] In Marshallese culture, a family's generosity is sometimes considered as relative to the family having a lessened amount of material items left after thekemen is over.[5]
Food preservation has been an historic part of Marshallese culture andfood security on the islands, and continues to be practiced today, although not as much as in the past.[1] A dried pandanus paste continues to be produced by people on the northern atollRatak Chain islands ofAiluk,Likiep andMejit, where it is referred to asmokwan, and also by people on theRalik Chain islands ofUjae,Lae andWotho, who refer to the paste asjããnkun.[1] When properly prepared, the pandanus paste is storable and remains edible for years.[1] Bwiro, the fermented and cooked breadfruit dish, can be preserved "for many months without spoiling".[7]
