New Caledonia

🇫🇷Paris, France

Baguette

Baguette de tradition

Long thin crusty bread with a soft airy interior, the symbol of French baking.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Blue Prawns

Crevettes Bleues

New Caledonia blue prawns (crevettes bleues); a rare delicacy with a worldwide reputation; sweet, flavourful; referred to as 'Caledonian caviar' in fine French dining; served as tartar, carpaccio, flambéed, sashimi, or grilled; the blue colour from pristine turquoise waters; available at restaurants, markets, and supermarkets; a flagship local product.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Bougna

The emblematic Kanak dish and national dish of New Caledonia; root vegetables (taro, yam, sweet potato), banana, and chicken, fish, or lobster wrapped in banana leaves with coconut milk; slow-cooked in an underground stone oven with red-hot rocks for about two hours; the word bougna comes from the Drehu word 'puhnya' meaning 'bundle'; served at Kanak festivals; a TasteAtlas-listed listed preparati

🇳🇨Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

Bulime

Bulime; a giant land snail endemic to the Isle of Pines; a local delicacy; served with garlic and butter or in soups; a unique New Caledonian specialty; a feature of island cuisine

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Caramel Pork

Porc au Caramel

Porc au caramel is pork braised in a dark caramel, soy, and aromatic sauce, a Vietnamese-diaspora preparation established in New Caledonia.

🇫🇷France

Chocolate Croissant

Pain au chocolat

Rectangular laminated pastry filled with dark chocolate batons, also called chocolatine.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Chouchoute Gratin

Gratin de Chouchoute

Chouchoute gratin; often served New Caledonian side dish; chouchoute is a zucchini-like vegetable (chayote); baked in a gratin; a feature of local cuisine; a French-influenced preparation adapted to island ingredients; often served accompaniment to grilled fish and meat; a comforting, creamy dish.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Clam Gratin with Coconut Milk

Gratin de Palourdes

Clam gratin with coconut milk; fresh clams from the lagoon baked in a gratin with coconut milk; a feature of seafood restaurants and table d'hôte; a fusion of French gratin technique with Pacific ingredients; often served island dish; a showcase of the lagoon's bounty.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Coconut Crab

Unga

Large land crab prized as a delicacy, especially on the outer islands of the Cook Islands; protected in some areas due to declining populations; a rare and sought-after island food.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Crab Stuffed with Crayfish

Crabe Farci

A TasteAtlas-listed New Caledonian dish; crab mixed with vegetables and fried, crayfish cooked separately; once cooled, crayfish and crab are combined and poured into buttered tins; baked for twenty minutes; served hot; can be served as appetizer or entrée; a refined Franco-Pacific creation.

🇫🇷France

Creme Brulee

Rich custard topped with a caramelized sugar crust that cracks when tapped.

🇫🇷France

Creme Caramel

Crème caramel

Crème caramel is a chilled baked custard turned out over a thin pool of amber caramel.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Crevettes Gros Sel

Crevettes au gros sel are prawns cooked under coarse salt so their flesh stays sweet and moist while the shell takes on a savoury crust.

🇫🇷Paris, France

Croissant

Crescent-shaped laminated pastry, buttery and flaky, adapted from the Austrian kipferl.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Crème Brûlée Lifou Vanilla

Crème Brûlée Vanille

Crème brûlée infused with Lifou vanilla; a distinctive New Caledonian touch on the French classic; Lifou vanilla plays a prominent role; a feature of restaurant menus; a fusion of French pastry technique with local vanilla; a creamy, fragrant dessert; often served island sweet.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Fried Noodles

Bami

Bami is a New Caledonian noodle preparation stir-fried with vegetables, aromatics, and the stated meat or seafood, reflecting the island's Chinese influence.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Kaffir Lime

Combava

Combava (kaffir lime); an integral ingredient in New Caledonian recipes; used in combava rillettes and many other dishes; a key flavor in the local culinary scene; a reflection of the Asian influence on New Caledonian cuisine; a versatile, aromatic citrus; a an important part of local flavor.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Kanak Cabbage

Chou Kanak

Kanak cabbage; a traditional Kanak vegetable; pan-fried as a side dish; a feature of Kanak culinary traditions; a wild plant used in traditional cuisine; a versatile, leafy green; a an important part of the Kanak diet

🇳🇨Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia

Lifou Vanilla

Vanille de Lifou

Lifou vanilla; a prized local product from the Loyalty Islands; plays a prominent role in various preparations; used in crème brûlée, rice cooked in vanilla coconut milk, and other desserts; a key ingredient in New Caledonian cuisine; a specialty of the islands

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Mangrove Crab

Crabe de Mangrove

New Caledonian mangrove crab is mud crab steamed, grilled, or simmered with coconut and aromatics; the white claw meat is sweet and firm.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Mangrove Oysters

Huîtres de Mangrove

Mangrove oysters are lagoon oysters gathered from New Caledonian mangroves and served raw, grilled, or with a light citrus dressing.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Maré Avocado

Avocat de Maré

Maré avocado; a specialty of the Loyalty Islands; buttery avocado from the island of Maré; a prized local product; a feature of island cuisine; a versatile, creamy fruit

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Nems

Rouleaux de Printemps

Nems are crisp rice-paper rolls filled with seasoned meat or vegetables, a familiar Vietnamese-Caledonian snack sold in markets and restaurants.

🇯🇵Japan

Nigiri Sushi

握り寿司

Hand-pressed vinegared rice topped with a slice of raw fish or seafood, the most iconic form of sushi.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Octopus Salad

Salade de Poulpe

New Caledonian octopus salad uses tenderized octopus with fresh greens, citrus, and local herbs; the pieces stay springy while the dressing remains bright.

🇳🇨Nouméa, New Caledonia

Pho Nouméa

New Caledonian pho is a Vietnamese-style noodle soup with aromatic broth, rice noodles, herbs, and beef or chicken, eaten in the island's Vietnamese community.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Pickled Vegetables

Achards

Achards are New Caledonian pickled vegetables seasoned with oil, vinegar, chilli, and aromatics; the sharp preserve accompanies Broussard venison and grilled foods.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Polynesian Pudding

Po'e

Po'e; a Polynesian pudding widely enjoyed in New Caledonia; a sweet, starchy pudding made from banana, papaya, or pumpkin; served with coconut milk; a reflection of Polynesian influence on New Caledonian cuisine; often served dessert; a feature of local restaurants and gatherings.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Poulet au Coco

Poulet au coco is chicken simmered with coconut milk, onion, garlic, and island spices until tender; it is a familiar New Caledonian home-style main.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Prawns in Coconut Shells

Crevettes en Coques de Coco

A TasteAtlas-listed New Caledonian seafood dish; chopped prawns or shrimp mixed with coconut cream and pawpaw; the mixture is baked under a banana leaf; served hot in coconut shells; a showcase of the island's prized blue prawns and fresh coconut; a fusion of French and Pacific flavors.

🇯🇵Japan

Sashimi

刺身

Thinly sliced premium raw fish or seafood, served with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Saucisson de Cerf

Saucisson de cerf is cured venison seasoned and packed into a sausage, then air-dried until firm enough to slice thinly.

🇫🇷France

Steak Frites

Grilled steak served with french fries, the quintessential French bistro dish. The classic bone-in cut is cote-a-l-os, the rib steak of the brasserie canon.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Venison Salad

Salade de Cerf

Marinated venison salad; a listed preparation New Caledonian dish; venison tossed into salads with local vegetables; a Broussard specialty from the West Coast; a refreshing preparation of the prized local deer; served with spicy achards and rice; a feature of restaurant menus and table d'hôte experiences.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Venison Stew

Civet de Cerf

Civet de cerf is New Caledonian venison slow-braised in red wine with aromatics until tender, a West Coast Broussard preparation served with vegetables or rice.

🇳🇨New Caledonia

Ver de Bancoule

Ver de bancoule is a large bancoule beetle larva eaten as an insect in New Caledonia; it is cleaned and cooked until the outside firms and the centre stays rich.