🍽️ Cuisine
Pitcairn Island, home to descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions, possesses one of the world's most unique food cultures. With fewer than 50 residents and extreme isolation, Pitcairn cuisine blends 18th-century English naval provisions with Tahitian cooking techniques, creating dishes found nowhere else on Earth.
Pilhi
Pitcairn Banana Pudding
The signature Pitcairn dessert—mashed ripe bananas enriched with coconut cream and arrowroot, baked until golden, a recipe unchanged since the mutineers' arrival in 1790.
Ingredients: 6 very ripe bananas, 150ml coconut cream, 2 tbsp arrowroot (or cornstarch), 2 tbsp honey, ½ tsp vanilla extract, Pinch of nutmeg, Butter for greasing.
Preparation: Mash bananas thoroughly until smooth with few lumps remaining. Whisk arrowroot into coconut cream until dissolved. Combine with mashed bananas, honey, vanilla, and nutmeg, mixing well. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 180°C for 30-35 minutes until top is golden and edges bubble. The interior should remain soft and pudding-like. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. On Pitcairn, this is often made in the communal oven and shared among all island residents.
💡 Pitcairners say the bananas must be so ripe they're almost black—this is when sugar content peaks.
Baked Breadfruit
Fa'a'apa'a
Whole breadfruit charred over open fire until the flesh transforms into something between bread and potato—the most essential food on Pitcairn, eaten at nearly every meal.
Ingredients: 1 whole breadfruit, mature but not overripe, Butter, Salt, Optional: grated cheese, crispy bacon bits.
Preparation: Pierce breadfruit several times with skewer to prevent explosion. Place whole fruit directly on gas burner flame, barbecue coals, or in oven at 220°C. Turn every 15 minutes until skin is completely blackened all over and fruit feels soft when pressed—about 1 hour total. Let cool enough to handle. Cut in half, scoop out and discard core. The flesh should be creamy yellow and steaming. Serve immediately with generous butter and salt. Pitcairners often add cheese melted inside or crumbled bacon. Texture is like fluffy, slightly sweet potato.
💡 A properly cooked breadfruit will sound hollow when tapped—this indicates the flesh has separated from the skin.
Mudda
Fish and Coconut Stew
Pitcairn's hearty fish stew—fresh-caught nanwe or tuna simmered with pumpkin and coconut cream, a Tahitian-influenced dish that has sustained islanders for generations.
Ingredients: 400g firm fish fillets (tuna or snapper), cubed, 200g pumpkin or squash, cubed, 200ml coconut cream, 1 onion diced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tomato chopped, 200ml water or fish stock, Salt and pepper, Fresh parsley or coriander.
Preparation: Sauté onion and garlic in pot until softened. Add pumpkin and water, bring to simmer. Cook 10 minutes until pumpkin is nearly tender. Add tomato and fish, gently stirring to submerge fish in liquid. Simmer 5 minutes—do not boil vigorously or fish will break apart. Reduce heat to low, pour in coconut cream, stir gently. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer another 2-3 minutes until fish is just cooked through. Serve in bowls over rice or with baked breadfruit, garnished with fresh herbs.
💡 Pitcairn fish stew should be thick and creamy—if too thin, remove lid and let reduce slightly.
