Preparing a Polynesian fruit salad

Published on 14 August 2023

Reading time: 5 min.

There is an incredible abundance of fruit in The Islands of Tahiti, including watermelon, pineapple, mango, papaya, passion fruit, lychees, bananas, star fruit, abiu, rambutan and many, many others. You’ll find fruit for sale at roadside stands or in the markets. Ask to try some of those that you’ve never seen before. Then make a choice and prepare yourself a delicious fruit salad, or buy what you need for our suggested recipe. Tāmā a maita i !

A fresh fruit salad is a delicous light and filling dish you can enjoy at any time of the day or night. For this recipe, you’ll need bananas, mangoes, pineapple and papaya. with some watermelon or soursop for added freshness. Avocado, fresh mint and basil will bring a touch of color and flavor, with a squeeze of lime juice and a dash of rum to give it a little zip. The best place to buy fresh fruit in Tahiti is Papeete market, where the choice is truly staggering. Of course, you can vary the ingredients of your fruit salad to suit your taste, or to use whatever you have at hand, but this recipe is a real treat. Once you’ve assembled all the ingredients together, wash them, peel those that need it, then cut everything into small cubes. Add some fresh mint and basil, a vanilla bean and a dash of rum to liven it up.

Fresh fruit salad recipe

For 6 people
Preparation: 15 minutes
Difficulty: very easy

Ingredients:

4 or 5 bananas
2 large mangoes
1 pineapple
1 ripe papaya
1/4 watermelon
1 avocado
A few mint leaves
1 bean of Tahitian vanilla
1 lime, preferably from the Marquesas Islands
3 cl Tahitian rum

And now the fun begins!

1 – Peel and slice the bananas, peel and cut the mangoes, pineapple, papaya and avocado into small cubes. Put eveything into a large salad bowl.
2- Squeeze the juice of a small lime onto the bananas to prevent them from blackening.
3- Cut the vanilla in fine slices.
4- Add the rum.
5- Chop up the mint leaves.
6- Mix everything gently by hand.
7- As an option, add a small cup of coconut milk.
8- Keep refrigerated and serve cold.

This recipe is an example of just how generous and abundant the natural world is in French Polynesia. The variety of fruit that grows in our 118 islands is simply amazing. Make the most of your stay by trying some of the varieties that you’ve never seen before. The thriving culture of The Islands of Tahiti is also present in the culinary experiences you’ll enjoy during your vacation.

Other Tahitian recipes

But there’s far more to Tahitian cuisine than fresh fruit salads. Some of the delicious dishes that you’ll be able to try in The Islands of Tahiti are: poisson cru au lait de coco (raw fish with coconut milk), poulet au citron (lemon chicken), pua’a rôti (roast pork), and faraoa ha’ari coconut bread. A vacation in French Polynesia is the opportunity to discover magnificent sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons and lush green mountains, just like in the picture postcards. But your experience will be even richer thanks to the delicious and diverse local cuisine. The restaurants in The Islands of Tahiti serve an eclectic blend of dishes from many different origins: pizzas, hamburgers, steak and fries, chow mein, gourmet French food and of course, traditional Tahitian cuisine – something for all tastes! So enjoy your meal, or as we say in Tahiti, ‘Tāmā a maita i!!

There are many other culinary experiences for you to enjoy during your stay in French Polynesia: a picnic on the motu, a sunset dinner on the beach, a foodtruck evening meal with the locals, or a roast wild pig cooked in a traditional earth oven… And to make your voyage even more exotic, the restaurants in The Islands of Tahiti serve different cuisines from all over the world: French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian and even American! With such a choice, the chances are that you won’t go home any slimmer than when you arrived!

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