Top 5 Aitutaki Food & Drink: A Traveler’s Guide

Aitutaki, a gem in the Cook Islands, well, it’s more than just stunning lagoons and picture-perfect beaches; too it boasts a yummy array of food and drinks that give you a real feel for Polynesian flavor. Getting familiar with the local eats, well, it really can be a huge part of your trip, giving you stories and tastes that stick with you. Plus, thinking about where to eat and what to try beforehand is something you should totally do for making your visit smoother and tastier. Actually, we are going to talk about five things that stand out for any tourist wanting to experience the best of Aitutaki’s local offerings.

1. Fresh Fish: The Star of Aitutaki

It seems that the absolute best thing you can eat here is definitely the fish! So it is incredibly fresh given the fact that you’re on an island and catches often happen daily. It’s almost prepared every way imaginable – grilled, baked, marinated in coconut milk, and in salads. The Wahoo, Mahi-Mahi, and Tuna will really give you a window into island dining. The food really brings a distinct taste, thanks to traditional Polynesian cooking, which makes a dining outing a memorable experience. Expect fish to be a major attraction no matter where you decide to get your food.

A couple of specific places for the freshest catches will probably really improve the experience. For a comfortable eating experience with views that almost need to be seen to be believed, pop over to Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa. Plus, places such as the Blue Lagoon Restaurant aren’t just awesome food spots; that is they often bring a romantic vibe. Plus there are quite a lot of other choices for savoring different types of freshly made sea food; that, tourists would do very well to check those out. A particular local specialty will probably come to your attention, the “ika mata,” which usually has raw fish marinated in citrus juices and coconut cream, it’s really quite a zesty, fresh delight to treat yourself with!

2. Rukau: A Local Staple

One really good window into local flavors will probably involve eating rukau, which, that happens to involve taro leaves. So the vegetable isn’t just local it’s extremely common, which adds itself to traditional cuisine for many islanders! The cooking method sees these greens cooked with coconut cream, and that does bring an earthy and comforting dish, which is quite often paired with meat or fish dishes. Eating Rukau doesn’t just fill you up, though; yet you get a taste of a true part of Aitutaki culture, something you should totally jump into.

Finding good rukau won’t be so tricky. To get an honest representation of local recipes ask some families who run smaller local eateries. The Akitua Resort too makes an honest, but more “high end” attempt at the recipe. Anyway do be brave in talking to people! So the meal happens to have variations – sometimes some cooks might decide they like adding chicken or fish to the taro leaves, making the food even yummier; actually every cook brings their touch!

3. Island Night Feasts: A Cultural Extravaganza

Want more than just some eats? To fully do that, sign up to go to an “Island Night.” Really, the events usually happen in certain resorts and hotels and feature lots of Cook Islands culture via storytelling with dance and song! On these nights, you may find yourself looking at a range of foods cooked in an “umu,” which, actually this involves an underground oven giving foods such as pork, chicken, and root vegetables a smoky, genuine taste. That, you aren’t only feeding your belly, so too it’s awesome to feed your appreciation of the history here.

You’ll want to look at all the available options at most hotels for dates, if you feel like finding this. Akitu and Tamanu Beach have pretty strong options here with local takes on island night traditions. Actually this style of evening commonly offers cultural experiences with fire dances or storytelling alongside the yummy dishes!

4. Fresh Fruit: Nature’s Candy

Aitutaki is perfect when thinking about super yummy fruit largely because of its rich earth and sun! Seriously you will find tons of things such as mangoes, pawpaws, bananas, and star fruit sold almost all over the place on the island. So it really is fantastic being able to find such goodies when wanting tasty and vibrant fruit either when shopping at a store, checking out local farmer markets, or just trying what someone living locally can hook you up with. Getting this kind of fresh fruit brings with it important experiences; that, a great fruit offers itself as a lovely sweet way of eating, yet eating super ripe fruit allows you to take a piece of the nature surrounding the lagoons. Plus a ton of these harvests aren’t shipped at all! That does usually equal amazing tastes!

Take some time to actually visit local farmer’s shops as, basically, this represents a great means to support sustainable island income and take great pictures, and that way you are doing good! Some of the bigger resorts aren’t always going to cut it as the island’s yummiest treats commonly are sold right from the side of a small farm.

5. Local Drinks: Quench Your Thirst the Aitutaki Way

Thirst, so too, needs quenching. So while Aitutaki comes off a bit relaxed compared to other destinations – there is lots that tourists like. A number of local beers could certainly have some appeal in that realm. To start with, how does going to a store and asking for Cook Islands Lager or going a bit further, the bigger Von Lager beer brand sound? Plus some of the resorts do take some care to find tourists local cocktails made with the island’s harvests. Seriously, being here opens awesome refreshment adventures for anyone!

Something you have to keep an eye out for almost always – grabbing water fresh off a coconut tree! To get this going check out stands near markets, really! Getting this brings with it not just hydration – you get to see how the people actually enjoy living out here!