Home Gastronomic tourism Samoan food: an unforgettable journey

Samoan food: an unforgettable journey

La samoan food enjoy the preservation of manners and culture of the inhabitants who arrived in the archipelago of Samoa A few ago 3500 years. Inside the Polynesia we found two territories separated by 125 kilometersIndependent States of Samoa Samoa Americana. They stand out, above all, for the deep roots of the culture of its original settlers. We will discover some of its most typical dishes, as well as one of its most striking culinary techniques Keep reading!

Samoa, first to celebrate the year

There are many curiosities about this country located in the South Pacific. For example, the importance full family, called aiga when this is extensive, since in this country how much larger is a family Most power possesses. Hence, most activities in Samoan culture are done in community. It is also curious arrival of the new Year. He Independent State of Samoa is the first country to receive the new Year while the Samoa Americana it is the last.

samoan food
Western Samoa/Source: Actualidad Viajes

Have you ever dreamed of visiting Paradise beaches? Well, this country can boast of this valued landscape. In the same way, the Samoans can also boast of their incredible navigation skills, or at least, that was the view of the colonists who nicknamed these archipelagos as "Navigator Islands". For fans of "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson is of Samoan descent. His mother comes from one of the families of the Samoan aristocracy. After knowing some of the most curious facts about this country, we are going to talk about one of its most famous culinary techniques, the "umu".

The umu, an above-ground oven

The "umu" is a earth oven, one of the simplest and oldest cooking structures. It is placed on a floor of hot volcanic stones. As we mentioned earlier, the customs and traditions of thousands of years ago are still in force today in the Samoan country. And this is one of them. A Samoan family lights this oven about three times a day. This method makes it possible to taste completely natural aromas. Therefore, this gastronomic experience is highly demanded by all tourists.

Topped with freshly made coconut cream, foods cooked with umu are infused with beautiful, all-natural smoky flavors. An umu is lifted after about two hours and served immediately, while the food is hot and delicious. A lots of  hotels and resorts  they offer umu buffets in  the weekly fiafia nights . Visitors lucky enough to be invited to a Samoan village can experience first-hand an umu meal as the locals have done for thousands of years. Samoa Tours

umu
Umu, traditional oven on the floor of volcanic rocks / Source: Flickr

Ōloōlo, a typical dish of Samoan food

Let's find out how to prepare the «oloolo«, one of the most typical dishes of the samoan food. First of all, we need the same amount of bananas green and bananas very mature. This preparation is a great way to use up bananas that are about to go bad. Pretty simple ingredients, right?

First, we peel the green bananas in a bowl. It is advisable to cut them from top to bottom with the help of a small knife or something similar, since if you peel them in the traditional way, there will surely be a lot of skin stuck to it and later it will be more difficult to remove. Then, we grate them with a traditional grater until we get a texture of mash. We will have to use the side with the smallest openings since otherwise we will obtain banana strips and this kind of paste will not be created. Then, in another bowl, peel the ripe bananas. This is easier, since they are softer. So we only need one kneader to make them puree.

We mix the two ingredients. We remove well. Then, we cut baking paper into squares and put a large spoonful of the dough on each one and wrap them. If you use aluminum foil, it is advisable to spread them with butter so that they do not stick. We can sprinkle chocolate chips on top, although this is optional. Once we have all prepared we put them in the oven to 180 degrees and ready! Traditionally this snack is cooked in the umu wrapped in banana leaves.

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