🇲🇭 Marshallese Cuisine

Iaraj

Marshallese Pandanus Paste

Prep Time 3 hours
Servings 8
Difficulty Hard
Calories 209 kcal

A thick, sweet paste made from slow-cooked pandanus fruit, rolled and preserved as a traditional staple and energy-rich snack across the Marshall Islands.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Remove pandanus keys from the fruit head and scrape the soft pulp from each key using a coral scraper or grater.
  2. 2 Collect the pulp in a large pot, add water, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden paddle for 1-2 hours.
  3. 3 Continue cooking until the mixture reduces to a thick, spreadable paste.
  4. 4 Spread the paste onto banana leaves in thin sheets and allow to dry in the sun or continue low-heat cooking.
  5. 5 Roll the dried sheets tightly and store wrapped in banana leaves for preservation.

Did You Know?

Iaraj was a crucial survival food for Marshallese voyagers, lasting months without refrigeration on long ocean canoe journeys.