Food · Palau
Palau: Food and the National Dish
Reef fish and taro from a Pacific island nation better known worldwide for its coral reefs than its cooking
By Worldlore Editorial · 30 September 2026
An island nation better known for its reefs than its recipes
Palau's international reputation rests overwhelmingly on its coral reefs and diving, and its food culture, while genuine and lived daily by Palauans, has been far less documented than the marine life just offshore. No single dish has a confidently documented claim as an official national dish, so this article describes what is actually eaten across the islands.
Reef fish, taro and the everyday pantry
Fresh reef fish, caught locally, remains a mainstay of everyday eating in Palau, prepared simply and often eaten with rice. Taro, grown in traditional cultivated patches that have been farmed for generations, is a genuine staple crop, and the freshwater taro patches are traditionally tended by women. Cassava, yam, sweet potato, coconut, breadfruit and other tropical produce suit the islands' climate, and Japanese, American and Filipino cooking have left a strong mark on the everyday menu.
Dishes to know
Five staples worth recognising in Palau:
- Reef fish — grilled or eaten fresh, a mainstay of everyday meals.
- Taro — grown in freshwater patches traditionally tended by women, a
genuine staple crop.
- Coconut — used in milk and flesh form across much of Palauan
cooking.
- Breadfruit — a starchy staple, boiled or roasted.
- Fruit bat soup — a traditional Palauan delicacy, the bat cooked in a
coconut-milk soup.
Eating as a traveller
Imported food dominates Palau's shops, so rice and packaged goods sit alongside fresh fish and taro on most tables, especially in Koror. Bottled water is easy to find in Koror. Visiting a local market or a taro patch, where still tended in traditional style, offers a genuine look at Palauan food beyond the Japanese, Filipino, Chinese and American restaurants of Koror.
What to take from the table
Reef fish with taro is the truest everyday picture of Palauan food — a quieter, less internationally documented side of an island nation better known for what swims around it than for what's cooked on its tables.