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Nauruan cuisine (Nauruan: Iyeyi Naoero ) refers to the traditional cuisine of the island state of Nauru. Nauru has been settled by the Nauruans, an offshoot of the Micronesians for centuries, and thus it shares similar culinary practices with neighbouring islands. Nauruan cuisine also has influences of German cuisine, due to the island being occupied by Germany in the late 19th century. The discovery of phosphate and importation of Chinese workers also brought along chinese influences. British influences would also influence the islands cuisine after the triumvirate of Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain occupyed the island following World War I.
History
editThe island of Nauru was first settled by Micronesian seafarers around 1000BCE. As a raised atoll, few edible plants existed on the island. The majority of food plants were brought over with the voyagers, with coconut and pandanus fruit becoming the major staples of the diet with breadfruit, seeded breadfruit, figs and mangrove fruit also being eaten. Fish and other seafood were caught off the reefs and birds like noddy were caught and eaten. Animal husbandry was also practiced by the Nauruans. Young milkfish (Ibiya ) were captured from reefs and raised in the Buada Lagoon[1][2] and Frigate birds were tamed and utilised for catching fish. Early accounts and oral tradition also suggest chickens were introduced and raised for food by the Nauruans.[3][4]
The discovery of phosphate led
As a result of phosphate mining, the majority of the islands arable land was degraded, leaving Nauru dependent on importing food from overseas. With most of food imported being highly-processed and nutritionally scarce, Nauru has the highest rate of obesity in the world.[5]
Ingredients
editLike its other island neighbors, Nauruans consume a large amount of seafood, as well as foods made from coconuts and pandanus fruits. Coconut milk is also used extensively in Nauru. Coconut fish (raw fish, often tuna, served in coconut milk with seasonings) is a traditional dish.
The native Nauruan names of traditional crops are:[6][7][8]
- epo/épo: Pandanus tectorius ekareba flour edongo paste
- ini: Cocos nucifera kamwirara syrup
- damagmag: Tacca leontopetaloides
- deme Artocarpus altilis
- damenkamor Artocarpus mariannensis
- dagimadere Spondias dulcis
- eaeo Ficus prolixa dedangang fig and syrup
- eteto Terminalia catappa
- etum Bruguiera gymnorrhiza
- deneno Morinda citrifolia
Dishes
edit- Coconut crust –
- Coconut fish – Raw fish, served with coconut milk and seasonings.
- Coconut mousse –
- Earth oven (Nauruan: Yom ) –
- Fried rice –
- Lemon chicken –
Influences
editNauruan cuisine is greatly influenced by Chinese cuisine. The Chinese are the major foreign community of the country, and there are a number of Chinese restaurants on the island, most notably in Yaren. In 2010, there were 138 Chinese restaurants in Nauru,[11][unreliable source?] in a country of hardly 10,000 people.
Nauruan cuisine also shows strong Western influence.[12]
Traditions
editThe majority of Nauruans are Christians, and members of the Nauru Congregational Church. They often celebrate Christmas with cakes made from banana and coconut.
Some desserts, such as coconut mousse, are consumed on special occasions.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Pollock, Nancy J (1995). "5: Social Fattening Patterns in the Pacific—the Positive Side of Obesity. A Nauru Case Study". In De Garine, I (ed.). Social Aspects of Obesity. Routledge. pp. 87–111.
- ^ Spennemann, Dirk HR (January 2002). "Traditional milkfish aquaculture in Nauru". Aquaculture International. 10 (6): 551–562. doi:10.1023/A:1023900601000. S2CID 40606338.
- ^ "The Birds of Nauru". Notornis - Ornithological Society of New Zealand. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ Petit-Skinner, Solange (1981). The Nauruans. Indiana University: MacDuff Press. p. 26. ISBN 9780960627202.
- ^ Streib, Lauren (2 August 2007). "World's Fattest Countries". Forbes.com. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ Wilson, Marisa (2016). Postcolonialism, Indigeneity and Struggles for Food Sovereignty: Alternative food networks in subaltern spaces. Abingdon-on-Thames: Taylor & Francis. p. 130. ISBN 9781317416128.
Two fruit trees in particular were also important: epo, the pandanus tree (Pandanus tectorius and Pandanus pulposus); and ini, the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).
- ^ Elevitch, Craig R. (2006). Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands: The Culture, Environment And Use. Honolulu: Permanent Agriculture Resources. p. 789. ISBN 9780970254450.
- ^ R. R. Thaman, D. C. Hassall and Shingo Takeda (2007). "The Vegetation and Flora of Nauru" Secretariat of the Pacific Community Retrieved August 2022.
- ^ De Garine, Igor, ed. (1995). Social Aspects of Obesity. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781134316212.
- ^ Weeramantry, C. G., ed. (1998). Justice Without Frontiers: Furthering Human Rights. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 410.
- ^ Matthieur, Paley. "A typical Naurauan dish". Matthieur Paley Photography. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- ^ "Nauru Travel Profile". Retrieved 29 May 2017.
Further reading
edit- "NAURU: Elmina Quadina’s even better Nauruan coconut fish", Locally Foreign