country Essentials · 11 foods
Samoa Essentials
A considered first route through Samoa: the foods that carry its everyday habits, celebrations, ingredients, and memory.
Explore all Samoa foods →THE
ESSENTIALS
The complete shortlist
11 foods to know.
Each selection includes the reason it belongs here—so this is a guide, not just a pile of names.
Samoa
Palusami
Young taro leaves hold coconut cream and onions before baking in an umu.
Samoa
Oka I'a
Oka
Fresh fish cures in citrus, coconut cream, onion, and chili for Oka I’a.
Samoa
Coconut Buns
Panipopo
Soft buns bake in a sweet coconut cream sauce and are served warm.
Samoa
Sapasui
Noodles stir-fry with meat, vegetables, ginger, and garlic in Samoan chop suey.
Samoa
Panikeke
Banana or plain batter fries into golden Samoan pancake balls.
Samoa
Mackerel Coconut Bake
Faiai Eleni
Mackerel bakes with taro leaves, onions, spices, and coconut milk.
Samoa
Coconut Caramel Taro
Fa'ausi
Baked taro or breadfruit is drenched in sticky caramel-coconut sauce.
Samoa
Samoan Cocoa
Koko Samoa
Locally grown cacao beans roast, grind, and become a dark hot cocoa.
Samoa
Koko Alaisa
Kokoaraisa
Rice cooks with Samoan cocoa, coconut cream, and sugar for breakfast.
Samoa
Pork Buns
Keke Pua'a
Spiced pork and onions fill soft dough buns baked or steamed.
American Samoa
Canned Corned Beef
Pisupo
Salted or canned beef cooks with onion, greens, or roots as Samoan pisupo.