About the dish
Babai (Cyrtosperma merkusii) is a giant swamp taro that on the atolls of Kiribati is grown in deep pits dug down to the fresh groundwater and fed with leaf compost. The corms take several years to grow, so raising them calls for patience and knowledge handed down in families, and large ones are a prestigious gift and the pride of feasts in the maneaba meeting houses. Babai is boiled for a long time or baked in an earth oven, then sliced or mashed with coconut cream. It is also served sweet, with kamaimai syrup made from coconut sap. Fish and seafood are eaten alongside, while on ordinary days rice or breadfruit take its place.
Main ingredients
- babai (giant swamp taro)
- coconut cream
- salt
- kamaimai syrup