Ika Mata
The Cook Islands' own citrus-cured raw fish salad, part of the same documented Pacific family as Fiji's kokoda, Tahiti's poisson cru, and Samoa's oka, each a genuinely distinct regional dish rather than variants of one original. Ika mata is traditionally served straight in a halved coconut shell and leans on coconut cream folded in after a brief lime cure, with cucumber and tomato kept in larger, chunkier pieces than the fine dice or julienne used in its Tahitian and Fijian cousins.
Seafood
⚠ Contains: Fish. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 600g sashimi-grade firm white fish or tuna, diced
- Juice of 4-5 limes
- 300ml coconut cream
- 1 cucumber, chunked
- 2 tomatoes, chunked
- 1 small onion, diced
- Salt
- Coconut shells, to serve (optional)
Steps
- Dice the fish into small cubes.
- Marinate in the lime juice for 15-30 minutes, until the flesh turns opaque.
- Drain off the excess citrus.
- Fold in the coconut cream, cucumber, tomato, and onion.
- Season with salt and serve chilled, traditionally in a halved coconut shell.