National Dish Vanuatu: Lap Lap (Recipe)
In this article
Lap Lap is grated root vegetable mixed with coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and baked in a stone oven. It is the national dish of Vanuatu, and each island grates a different root and calls the result the correct one.
About Lap Lap
The root, taro, yam, cassava or banana, is grated to a paste on a piece of coral or a metal grater. Coconut milk goes through it, sometimes meat or fish on top, and the parcel goes into a nakamal earth oven under hot stones for hours.
The result is dense, smooth and mild, closer to a savoury pudding than to a vegetable.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 300 g taro or cassava root
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1–2 banana leaves (depending on size)
- Salt to taste
Shopping for the ingredients
Fresh taro, cassava or yam from an Asian or Caribbean grocer. Frozen banana leaves are sold in the same shops and work perfectly. Full-fat coconut milk, or grate a fresh coconut if you have one.
Preparing the dish
Grate the root finely, to a wet paste rather than shreds. Warm the banana leaves over a flame until they turn glossy and pliable, or they crack when you fold them. Fold the parcel tightly.
Step-by-step instructions
- Wash, peel and finely grate the taro or cassava to a paste.
- Clean the banana leaves and warm them over a flame or in the microwave until pliable.
- Lay one banana leaf flat and spread the grated root evenly across it.
- Pour over the coconut milk and season with salt, working it through the paste.
- Lay the second banana leaf on top and fold the edges in to form a tight parcel.
- Tie the parcel or wrap it in foil to hold its shape.
- Steam or bake at a moderate heat for about 1 hour, until the paste is set and firm.
- Cool slightly, unwrap and cut into slices.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Root vegetables and coconut contain no gluten and no dairy. Lap lap is naturally suitable for both restrictions.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Plain lap lap is vegan and is the everyday form; meat or fish is the addition for occasions. Island cabbage and coconut stew and curried taro leaves go alongside.
More tips and tricks
Grate finely to a paste, since coarse shreds give a stringy result. Warm the leaves before folding or they will split. And give it the full hour; underbaked lap lap is gluey in the middle.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Banana lap lap uses green banana and is sweeter. Chicken or seafood bougna puts protein in the parcel. Island cabbage layered in adds greens.
Ingredient substitutions
Taro, cassava, yam or green banana all work and each gives a different texture. Foil for banana leaves, with a loss of flavour. Coconut cream for a richer version.
Drink pairing ideas
Fresh coconut water. Kava, which Vanuatu takes seriously and drinks in the evening at a nakamal. Tusker lager, brewed in Port Vila.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it cut into thick slices, still in the leaf, warm rather than hot. It is communal food and comes out of the oven for everyone at once.
A bit of history
Vanuatu is 83 islands with over 100 living languages, one of the highest language densities on earth. Lap lap is common to nearly all of them, with the root and the additions varying island to island. It anchors Ni-Vanuatu cuisine.
More recipe ideas
- Banana Lap Lap
- Curried Taro Leaves
- Grilled Taro
- Manioc Chips
- Roasted Yam with Coconut Sauce
- Seafood Bougna
- Taro and Pumpkin Mash
Summary: Lap Lap
Lap lap is grated root vegetable with coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves and baked until set. Grate it fine, warm the leaves before folding, and give it the full hour.
