Pandanus Fruit Paste

Name: Pandanus Fruit Paste
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: I-Kiribati
Ingredients: 1 large ripe pandanus fruit head; Water for boiling

Te tuae ni bero (teh too-AH-eh nee BEH-roh)

Dried Pandanus Fruit Preserve

⏱ Prep Time 2 days

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 157 kcal

Ripe pandanus fruit segments boiled, mashed, and sun-dried into dense sheets that can be stored for months. An essential preserved food for ocean voyages and lean times.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 1.0g

Carbs 36.0g

Fat 1.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian vegan dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

large pot pestle or mashing tool drying rack or mat

Presentation Guide

Vessel: pandanus leaf wrapping

Garnishes: none

Accompaniments: fresh coconut, te karewe

Instructions

1
Separate the ripe pandanus fruit head into individual keys or segments by twisting and pulling apart.
2
Boil the segments in water for thirty minutes until they soften and the fibrous flesh can be easily scraped.
3
Scrape the soft pulp from each segment using a shell scraper or spoon, discarding the tough fibrous core.
4
Mash the collected pulp into a smooth paste using a pestle or heavy spoon, working out any remaining fibers.
5
Spread the paste thinly on pandanus leaf mats and dry in full sun for one to two days, flipping once.
6
Cut the dried sheets into portions and store rolled in pandanus leaves. Will keep for several months in dry conditions.

💡

Did You Know?

Pandanus paste was the original Pacific survival food, carried on ocean voyages as emergency rations and trading currency between atolls.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large pot
pestle or mashing tool
drying rack or mat

Garnishing

none

Accompaniments

fresh coconut, te karewe

The Story Behind Pandanus Fruit Paste

Pandanus fruit preservation is one of the most important traditional food technologies in Kiribati. On atolls where seasonal abundance is followed by scarcity, the ability to preserve the pandanus harvest as dried sheets meant the difference between survival and starvation. Ancient Micronesian navigators carried pandanus paste on their epic ocean voyages as lightweight, nutrient-dense sustenance. The technique remains practiced on outer islands today, connecting modern I-Kiribati people to their seafaring ancestors.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed preserved food for voyages and storage 📜 Origins: Ancient Micronesian voyaging era

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