Vanuatu’s national dish is a root vegetable cake called ‘laplap’. It is made from manioc (cassava) grated or shaved into a banana leaf with wild local cabbage that I was talking about before and coconut, wrapped into a flat parcel and cooked underground.
Vanuatu staple root veggie ” manioc”
plantain - cooking banana
I found ” lap lap” in the market
Manioc lap lap with chicken - 200 vatu
I bought it but gave the chicken back.
banana lap lap -50 vatu
No plastic bag to take away, banana leaf !
Banana and manioc lap lap
*Cooking banana -plantain
It is first time for me to try plantain.
Texture is like potato. Taste? a little bit sour and sweet at the same time. I can taste a little bit banana like taste but taste more like sweet and sour potato.
* Manioc
Manioc is grated so it is like potato cake. I can smell and taste bit of smoky flavour from local cabbage and lap lap leaf. I must say, I need a little more salt but it is yummy.
back side of manioc cake is quite crispy and little bit oily
It is always exiting to have national dish !!!!!!
