Te Ika ma te Ben — Print Recipe

Fresh tuna or skipjack diced and marinated in lime juice then folded into thick coconut cream. The quintessential I-Kiribati appetizer served at every community gathering.

Ingredients

500g fresh tuna, diced
3 limes, juiced
250ml fresh coconut cream
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cucumber, diced
Salt to taste
1 fresh chili, minced

Instructions

1 Dice fresh tuna into small cubes and place in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the fish and toss gently to coat evenly.
2 Let fish marinate in the lime juice for fifteen minutes until the flesh turns opaque, indicating the acid has begun to cure the surface.
3 Dice onion and cucumber finely and add to the marinated fish along with minced chili.
4 Pour thick coconut cream over the fish mixture and fold gently until everything is well coated.
5 Season with salt, cover, and refrigerate for ten minutes to let flavors meld together.
6 Serve chilled in coconut shell halves or small bowls as a refreshing starter.

Did You Know?

This dish is so central to I-Kiribati identity that no maneaba (meeting house) gathering is complete without a large communal bowl of it.