In Tonga there was a time when there was only one main meal in a day were it was cooked in an Earth Oven. Tongan's diet consisted mainly of taro, yams, bananas, coconuts, fish baked in leaves; shellfish were usually served raw. Pigs were killed and cooked only on special occasions, such as weddings , funerals, and feasts honoring a visiting chief. In the 19th and early 20th centuries many new foods were introduced . One such introduction was the cassava plant, it is called "manioke" in Tongan.The cassava plant is an easy plant to grow and a common crop. Watermelons also became popular. Other fruits were aslo introduced, such as oranges, lemons, and limes. Tongans also adopted onions, green onions, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, and other common vegetables. Today, Tongans now consume large quantities of imported flour ans sugar. A dish that uses both is Topai. it is made with flour and water, then served with a syrup of sugar and coconut milk. Topai is mostly common in funerals because it is easily prepared. Tongans now purchase prepared foods for example canned corned beef,
and canned fish.
Tongans no longer make an earth oven every day. The daily cooking is now done in battered pots over open fires in the village. And in larger towns the women cook in gas or electric ranges. The meal schedule has also changed, to a more westernized breakfast , light lunch, and heavy dinner.
Traditional Tongan dishes:
- Lu pulu
- Lu sipi
- 'otai
- Vai siaine
Earth oven- a pit in the ground used to trap heat and bake or steam food.
