Makira Yam and Savory Fish Pudding

While on Guadalcanal, I met this distinguished, expatriate gentleman who told me that his cook (from the neighboring island of Makira, southeast of Guadalcanal) prepared delicious vegetable “puddings” for him, which he never tired of eating. I soon learnt that these puddings were a major division of Melanesian cooking, particularly featured at feasts (the Fijian vakalolos are an example).

The outer dough wrapping is made from any of the following, grated, or cooked and mashed