Vanuatu food and drink is an integral element of the culture and island way of life. Using plentiful, locally grown fare, traditional cuisine features ingredients like root vegetables, banana and coconuts, and a bounty of freshly caught fish. Local dishes are readily available at markets and in villages, and a must-try is the national dish, laplap. This unique dish is made of breadfruit, taro or yam pound into a dough and baked in an underground oven with coconut cream, meat and spinach leaves. If you’re feeling daring, you can also sample the customary drink kava. Meanwhile, mainstream restaurants in the popular tourist precincts cater to western tastes, with a variety of options including Australian and French-influenced cuisine.
