🍽️ Cuisine
Norfolk Island, a tiny Australian territory in the South Pacific, carries a remarkable culinary heritage from its Pitcairn Islander descendants—the Bounty mutineers' progeny who settled here in 1856. Their unique cuisine blends Tahitian influences, English colonial traditions, and adaptations to local ingredients like Norfolk pine honey and fresh seafood.
Mudda (Pilhi)
Mashed Banana Pudding
A cherished Norfolk Island dessert descended from Tahitian cooking—ripe bananas mashed with coconut cream into a rich, comforting pudding that embodies the island's Polynesian-English fusion.
Ingredients: 4 very ripe bananas, 150ml thick coconut cream, 2 tbsp Norfolk pine honey (or regular honey), ½ tsp vanilla extract, Pinch of cinnamon, Pinch of nutmeg, Toasted coconut flakes for garnish.
Preparation: Peel bananas and place in bowl. Mash thoroughly with fork until mostly smooth with some texture remaining. Warm coconut cream gently in small saucepan—do not boil. Fold warm coconut cream into mashed bananas. Add honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing until combined. Serve immediately while warm, or chill for cold pudding. Garnish with toasted coconut. On Norfolk, this is often served as afternoon tea treat or simple dessert.
💡 The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your Mudda—look for well-spotted skins.
Hilli Duff
Steamed Fruit Pudding
The quintessential Norfolk Island dessert—a dense, steamed pudding studded with tropical fruits and served with creamy sauce, traditionally made for celebrations and commemorating Bounty Day.
Ingredients: 150g self-raising flour, 75g butter softened, 75g brown sugar, 1 egg, 100g mixed dried fruits (sultanas, currants), 50g candied pawpaw or citrus peel, 60ml milk, ½ tsp mixed spice. Sauce: 100ml cream, 2 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp rum (optional).
Preparation: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Fold in flour and mixed spice alternately with milk. Stir through dried fruits and candied peel. Grease a 500ml pudding basin, spoon in mixture. Cover with pleated foil tied with string. Steam for 1½ hours, checking water level periodically. For sauce, melt butter with sugar and cream, simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Add rum if using. Turn out pudding onto plate, pour warm sauce over, serve immediately.
💡 Always pleat the foil cover to allow the pudding room to rise during steaming.
Kumara Fried Fish
Sweet Potato Crusted Fish
Fresh-caught reef fish coated in a crispy sweet potato crust—a modern Norfolk Island favorite that honors both the island's Polynesian heritage and abundant fishing grounds.
Ingredients: 300g firm white fish fillets, 1 medium kumara (sweet potato) grated, 2 tbsp flour, 1 egg beaten, Salt and pepper, ½ tsp paprika, Oil for pan-frying, Lemon wedges, Fresh herbs.
Preparation: Pat fish fillets dry and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Squeeze excess moisture from grated kumara using clean cloth. Mix kumara with flour. Dip fish in beaten egg, then press kumara mixture firmly onto all sides. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Carefully place fish in pan, cook 4-5 minutes per side until kumara crust is golden and crispy and fish is cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh herbs from the garden.
💡 Don't move the fish too soon—let the kumara crust set and crisp before attempting to flip.
