Food in Wallis and Futuna centres on the umu, an earth oven that steams suckling pig, taro, yam, breadfruit and shellfish in coconut milk over hot volcanic stones. Seafood is plentiful, and visitors can eat at a short list of restaurants, snack bars and bakeries listed by the tourism board.
Food ·
Food in Wallis and Futuna: umu, seafood, taro and where to eat
What to eat in Wallis and Futuna: the umu earth oven, seafood, taro and breadfruit, island feasts, and the restaurants and bakeries visitors can try.
01
What to eat in Wallis: the short version
Wallis cuisine is built around the earth oven, fresh seafood, taro, breadfruit and coconut. Roughly 80% of the labour force works in subsistence farming, livestock or fishing, so much of what appears on a plate is grown or caught locally. The tourism board says local produce is grown without imported fertilisers or pesticides.
French food, cheese, wine and champagne are also available, which is useful to know if you want a break from island dishes.
02
The umu: traditional dishes Wallis is known for
The umu is an earth oven. Food is wrapped in banana leaves, set over hot volcanic stones, and covered with palm fronds, leaves and earth to steam for several hours. A typical umu includes suckling pig, taro, yam, kape (giant taro), breadfruit and shellfish in coconut milk.
The umu is the clearest answer to what to eat in Wallis if you only have one meal to plan. The Nukuteatea Association offers an outrigger canoe day with an umu lunch, which the tourism board lists as a visitor option.
03
Seafood and the Futuna specialities
Seafood on the island includes lobsters, coconut crabs, parrot fish and trevally. Tuna and bonito are eaten as sashimi, and raw fish marinated in coconut milk is made so that, as the saying goes, every family has its own recipe. Another listing adds rock oysters and stuffed clams.
Futuna specialities include pakanuku (water taro), coconut crabs and lobsters. The tourism board's food page says Futuna has "more pigs than people". We found no information on coconut crab or lobster seasons or harvesting rules, so ask your host before ordering.
04
Taro, breadfruit, fruit and desserts
Breadfruit is fire-roasted or made into puree and chips, and coconut is described as indispensable. Taro features across the islands. On Futuna, taro from the taro patches is eaten mainly at customary or religious events. Sweet potato, cassava and yam also appear.
Fruit includes pineapple, mango, avocado, papaya, soursop and passion fruit. Desserts include faikai (cassava or taro flour and sugar), sofesofe (banana or papaya in coconut milk) and lu.
05
Feasts: food as ceremony
Food on the islands is bound up with custom. A katoaga is a customary festival where goods such as pigs, yam and taro baskets, mats, tapa and money envelopes are exchanged. At a Wallis katoaga the order is early mass, a dignitaries' meal, kava, dances, then distribution of food by rank, with larger pigs going to higher-ranking people and the shares announced aloud.
Katoaga dates are set by custom and none are scheduled for tourists, so do not plan around one. The board says that visitors at a village or district festival may share a meal prepared by villagers. Kava is a root-based drink used in political and religious ceremonies; do not stand or move around during a kava ceremony. Kava is banned in metropolitan France, which matters if you plan to bring it home.
06
Where visitors can eat
The board's list for Wallis includes Angelus Garden and Maloccino in Mata'Utu, You You Snack Bar at Malaefoou, Snack Mahina at Falaleu, Pizzeria Lelei and UGATAI Bakery in Mata'Utu, and Case Creole VIP Bar at Ha'afuasia. La Paillote at Gahi Bay is named on the board's tours page. Hotel Ulukula in Mata'Utu has a restaurant.
On Futuna, Snack Non Stop at Leava is listed, and Hotel Fiafia and Somalama Park Hotel both have restaurants. Opening hours on the board pages are undated, so we show none. Confirm before you travel.
07
What we cannot tell you
Meal prices, market days and hours, and vegetarian or vegan options are not in our records, and neither is any dedicated food tour. The board gives no market listing. If you have dietary needs, tell your accommodation in advance.
Cuisine wallisienne also includes dishes we have not been able to confirm, so treat this as a starting point and ask the people you eat with.
Questions people ask.
- What is the traditional food of Wallis and Futuna?
- The umu, or earth oven, is the traditional method. A typical umu includes suckling pig, taro, yam, kape (giant taro), breadfruit and shellfish in coconut milk.
- Can you eat seafood in Wallis and Futuna?
- Yes. The board lists lobsters, coconut crabs, parrot fish and trevally, tuna and bonito sashimi, and marinated raw fish with coconut milk. We found no information on seasons or harvesting rules for coconut crab and lobster.
- Are there restaurants in Wallis and Futuna?
- Yes, a short list. The tourism board names places such as Angelus Garden, Maloccino, Pizzeria Lelei and Snack Mahina on Wallis, and Snack Non Stop on Futuna. Hours are undated, so confirm before you go.
- Can I try an umu as a visitor?
- The Nukuteatea Association's canoe day on Wallis includes an umu lunch, and visitors at village or district festivals may share a meal prepared by villagers. Dates for customary feasts are not set for tourists.
- Is there a market in Wallis?
- We found no market with days or hours on any board page, so we cannot confirm one.
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