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Samoan Foodways

National

Samoa — independent since 1962, and with AMERICAN SAMOA a separate US territory to its east, which is one people under two governments. The organising institution is the ‘ĀIGA, the extended family, and the FA‘A SAMOA, the Samoan way, in which food is obligation: the UMU is built above ground on stones rather than in a pit, and Sunday’s TO‘ONA‘I after church is the week’s meal. The dishes: PALUSAMI — young taro leaves packed with coconut cream, wrapped in breadfruit leaf and baked until the leaves collapse into something between a custard and a green; OKA I‘A, raw fish in coconut cream, lime and onion; SUPO ESI of green papaya; FA‘AUSI, baked taro in caramelised coconut; PANIPOPO, coconut buns in sweet coconut milk; SUA I‘A; and taro, breadfruit, green banana and coconut at almost every meal. ⚠ AND THE IMPORTED FOOD IS THE OTHER HALF OF THE TRUTH: tinned corned beef (pisupo — the word comes from "pea soup", the first tinned food to arrive), turkey tails and mutton flaps became staples, and Samoa BANNED turkey tail imports in 2007 on health grounds before lifting the ban to join the WTO in 2011. That sequence is a documented food-sovereignty case.

Atlas — where and when

Where in the world

Communities and languages

  • Samoans community documented

Languages: Samoan, English

What is recorded

  • Samoa bans turkey tail imports on health grounds, then lifts the ban in 2011 to accede to the WTO — a documented food-sovereignty case. documented
  • Samoa has been independent since 1962, with American Samoa a separate United States territory. The umu is documented as built above ground on stones rather than in a pit. Pisupo, the word for tinned meat, derives from "pea soup", the first tinned food to arrive. Samoa banned turkey tail imports in 2007 on health grounds and lifted the ban in 2011 to accede to the WTO, which is recorded as a documented food-sovereignty case. documented

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