Coconut is the most important food plant in Kiribati — almost every part of the coconut palm is useful. The white flesh inside gives oil and food; the liquid inside (coconut water) is refreshing to drink; the husk's fibres are woven into rope; and the leaves are used to make mats and thatch for roofs. Tuae is one delicious way to use the sweet flesh and sap all in one dish.
To make tuae, cooks grate ripe coconut flesh very finely, mix it with toddy — a sweet syrup tapped from the flower buds of the coconut palm — and sometimes add starchy root vegetables like babai (giant taro). The mixture is cooked until it thickens into a rich pudding with a beautiful coconut flavour that is both creamy and naturally sweet.
Tuae is the kind of food that reminds people of home. Kiribati families living abroad often describe tuae as the taste they miss most. At te kainga (family gatherings), a big pot of tuae is a sign of celebration and welcome. Making it together, with everyone helping to grate coconut or stir the pot, is part of what makes it special.