About the dish
ʻOta ʻika, “raw fish”, is a Tongan salad known throughout Polynesia under different names. Cubes of very fresh, firm fish – tuna, Spanish mackerel or reef fish – are marinated in lemon or lime juice until opaque, then mixed with thick coconut milk and finely chopped vegetables: tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, sometimes chilli. The acid “cooks” the fish much as in ceviche, while the coconut softens the flavour and adds creaminess. The salad is served chilled as a starter or light meal, often with taro or cassava, and at family feasts.
Main ingredients
- raw fish
- lemon
- coconut milk
- tomato
- cucumber
- onion
Samoa: In Samoa a similar raw fish salad in coconut milk is called oka.
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More: Wikipedia (en)
