Tonga Tapa

by | Feb 19, 2016 | Cultures of Polynesia, Tonga

  One of my favorite activities to see at the Polynesian Cultural Center is the tapa making demonstration in Tongan. It’s not only fun to watch but very educational at the same time. I just think it’s amazing that cloth can be made out of the bark of a tree. As I...
Tongan Lupulu Recipe

Tongan Lupulu Recipe

by | Dec 17, 2015 | Eat Polynesia!, Tonga

Make your own Tongan lūpulu at home You don’t need to live on a tropical island or cook in an underground oven to make lūpulu, one of Tonga’s most favorite dishes for your own feast:  As Alamoti Taumoepeau, manager of the Tonga Village at the Polynesian Cultural...
Tonga, the Friendly Islands

Tonga, the Friendly Islands

by | Dec 15, 2015 | Cultures of Polynesia, Tonga

Malo e lele! Welcome to the friendly islands of the Kingdom of Tonga. There are about 171 islands in the three main island groups of Tongatapu, Ha’apai, and Vava’u. Tonga has the distinction of being the only island nation that was never formally colonized by a...

Tonga Time

by | Dec 14, 2015 | Cultures of Polynesia, Tonga

Tonga, like it’s cousins across the Pacific, has it’s own approach to time. Today may mean tomorrow. Half an hour may be more like two hours or in some cases two days or even a week. If you are a foreigner this may take a bit of adjusting to, but remember you...

Tongan Feast For Christmas

by | Nov 24, 2015 | Cultures of Polynesia, Tonga

Tongan feasting: A serious custom [Author’s note: I have attended Polynesian feasts where they cooked 200 pigs, and fed thousands of people . . . but the first time I sat down at a Tongan kaipola feast, I was truly impressed.]   An expression of love and...