What traditional foods should you try when you’re in Tonga? How do contemporary dishes differ from traditional ones? What should you expect before you go to the grocery store?

When I was gearing up for my 2-week trip in Tonga, I had no idea what to expect from the local food! During my time there, I tried many traditional dishes, such as ‘Ota’ika, lu, faikaki, and umu-style cooking. 

However, I also shopped for ingredients at the grocery store, attended a contemporary cookout, navigated being a pescatarian, and worried about food poisoning. 

The highlight of my food experience in Tonga was the traditional dishes, but you’ll likely be eating a mix of other things along the way. This comprehensive guide outlines what to eat in Tonga, so you know what your stomach can expect.

Expectations for Dining in Tonga

So, what should you expect of restaurants, cuisine, grocery stores, and traditional meals when you’re in Tonga? 

Firstly, when dining in Tonga, it’s essential to remember the limited resources available here. The nearest significant supplier of food to Tonga is New Zealand, which is still a considerable distance away. Tongans mostly cook with what is grown locally or processed foods (like corned beef) that are shelf-stable and imported.

The two biggest things I wasn’t expecting were the abundance of fried food and the lack of spices. Food is straightforward and very mild in flavor. I was also shocked at how much food is cooked in oil or completely deep-fried. 

If you are in Nuka’alofa (the main island and town center), you will be able to find restaurants that offer both traditional meals and westernized meals. There will also be larger grocery stores available if you plan to cook for yourself. 

On some of the outer islands, your food options may be limited. I spent 8 days on the island of ‘Eua and primarily cooked for myself. The grocery store was limited to just a few aisles, mainly featuring processed foods. 

On ‘Eua, there were several small restaurants that offered a taste of traditional foods. 

Whether or not I was eating a traditional meal or something more contemporary, everything used straightforward ingredients. Tongans have access to amazing, fresh foods grown on the island, as well as the livestock they raise and the fish they catch. 

Most contemporary meals used a lot of oil (fish was often deep fried), and you can expect an absence of spices. Even finding salt to add to our food was a challenge! 

Lastly, it’s best to be prepared with something to soothe an upset stomach. We brought loperamide with us just in case we ate something that didn’t agree with us. Thankfully, we never needed it, but we encountered several people who did along the way!

Traditional Tonga Foods

On to some of my favorite traditional foods I encountered in Tonga! Keep in mind that the Tonga ingredients are relatively simple, and most dishes are built around these main ingredients: beef, chicken, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, coconuts, papayas, and fish. 

These were my top 5 favorite foods in Tonga. If a restaurant, guesthouse, or resort offers one of these meals, you should definitely try it out!

• Ota ‘ika – raw fish “cooked” in coconut milk. This was honestly some of the best raw fish I’ve ever had! It truly melted in my mouth, and I loved the coconutty flavor. I was able to try this several times, and it’s one of the most abundant traditional dishes. Even if raw fish isn’t your thing, I highly recommend trying just one bite!
• Umu – My partner got a “traditional umu lunch” on ‘Eua. Umu is a method of cooking meat underground with hot stones. The main dish is called Lu. Lu consists of meat and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves and cooked underground for hours. His umu meal also included taro, ‘ota ‘ika, papaya, and a coconut drink. Try it yourself at Kikos Restaurant on ‘Eua (only on Sunday).
• Traditional Tongan Feast – this is a popular “attraction” done at many resorts and restaurants. Most food exhibitions include umu-cooked Lu, sweet potato, taro, ‘ota ‘ika, spit-roasted pig, salad, warm cooked papaya, and fish. We had a fabulous Tongan feast and floorshow at Matafonua Resort.
• Kelevi’ Ika – fish served in a gravy-like sauce. We ate this a lot at Kikos Guesthouse! Honestly, the sauce was pretty good, but the fish always came deep-fried.
• Deserts – I’ve lumped deserts all together, but there were so many yummy ones I tried! Number one is faikakai, which is fruit marinated in coconut syrup, yum! Many street markets also had topai, which are dumplings marinated in coconut sugar.

Tonga Resort Meals

If you’re traveling in Tonga, you may be treating yourself to some time at one of the many beautiful beach resorts in the country. 

I stayed in the island chain of Ha’apai at Matafonua Lodge for five glorious nights! Indeed, it was the best food I had in the country! 

But the catch is that the food was made with a lot of imported ingredients, and thus didn’t always reflect the traditional foods and staple ingredients served outside the resort.

I definitely noticed the resorts catering to a Western palate. Some of the meals we had at the resort included: fish tacos, curry, pizza, BBQ, lobster, burgers, and eggplant parmesan. Matafonua did host a traditional Tongan feast, which was a great cultural experience!

The resort meals were prepared with spices, vegetables, cheese, and other ingredients not typically used in traditional Tongan cooking.

Again, I must reiterate, the food was delicious! But if you’re only staying at a resort, keep in mind you will likely need to venture outside the resort to find authentic traditional meals. 

Grocery Stores in Tonga

The grocery stores throughout Tonga were a great cultural immersion experience. This is yet another spot where you need to zoom out in your brain and remember where you are. A tiny spec of land in the ocean! 

Most foods imported to Tonga come from far away and thus need to be shelf-stable. The grocery stores consisted of 2-4 aisles of primarily processed and packaged foods. One whole aisle was always dedicated to chips and cookies! 

The other aisles were partitioned into sections containing canned fish and meat, sauces, canned vegetables, pasta, ramen, baby food, and other items. 

Many Tongans grow their own food or shop at the market, so the grocery store is a supplement to their lifestyle. As a traveler, you may find it hard to create a meal you’d be used to at home. 

Some of our regular store purchases included eggs, rolls, pasta, marinara sauce, peanut butter, and Doritos.

Contemporary Feast

I wanted to include a section about contemporary eating habits in Tonga. As a tourist, you often only see the side of Tonga that is presented to you. This is great when you’re eating ‘ota ‘ika and topai at the street market, but it’s not necessarily how people living there are routinely eating. 

On ‘Eua, I was honored to be invited to a community event that was centered around a shared meal. I was thrilled to be there and had a wonderful time chatting with the locals. But I couldn’t help but notice the meal was so different from anything I’d been shown as a tourist. We had watermelon, sandwiches, and then about 15 desserts to choose from! Everything was very processed. The person I sat next to even made a joke about the obesity epidemic in the country! 

For me, it was a good reminder that the “local foods” I’d been shown as a tourist are perhaps not daily staples for Tongans, as their diets have shifted towards more convenient foods introduced from overseas.

Dietary restrictions

A quick note for anyone traveling with dietary restrictions! I primarily eat a vegetarian diet (although I did eat fish on this trip), and I found it challenging to feel full and get enough protein. This is not a bean or tofu-centric country, so most of my protein came from peanut butter and fish. 

If you are gluten-free, you will have plenty of options, as traditional carbohydrates include taro and sweet potato. If you have celiac disease, that will likely complicate things, as the country is not entirely free from flour.

Lastly, if you have a nut allergy, most foods will be safe for you! The only nuts we saw were the ones we purchased at the store, specifically the peanut butter. 

Regardless of whether you have an allergy, a dietary restriction, or are concerned about the food in general, I highly recommend bringing snacks from home.

Final Thoughts

This honest review has given you a good idea of what to eat and what to expect from food in Tonga! There are unique local dishes, such as lu and topai, to sink your teeth into, but there is also a distinct line between traditional and contemporary foods.

When preparing for your trip to Tonga, I highly recommend bringing snacks you enjoy (I wish I had brought granola bars and nuts!). It’s also a good idea to have something like loperamide on hand in case the food doesn’t agree with you. 

The Kingdom of Tonga is a beautiful place filled with kind and welcoming people! Whether you’re there to swim with whales or relax on the beach, you’re sure to have a stellar trip! Regardless of what you decide to eat.