Poisson cru (ia ota) is the national dish of The Islands of Tahiti. You can taste it if you decide to join us in one of our cruises. Until then, you can try it at home.
Poisson cru is made with the freshest of ingredients as found in the islands of Tahiti. This melt-in-your-mouth entrée consists of raw fish and diced vegetables soaked in coconut milk and marinated with lime juice.
While most commonly made with raw fresh tuna it can also be prepared with numerous other fish such as crab (“ota pa’a/paka”), eel (“ota pusi”), lobster (“ota ula”), mussels (“ota pipi/maso”), octopus/squid (“ota fe’e/feke”), prawns (“ota ulavai”), and sea urchin (“ota vana/tuitui”). If none of those are available you can make it with jack fish, halibut, salmon or snapper.
Ingredients
1.75 pounds tuna (fresh, sushi-grade)
1/2 cucumber (3.5 ounces)
1 tomato (1.75 ounces)
1 bell pepper (green)
1 large onion (2.8 ounces)
8 limes (juiced)
1 glass of coconut milk
Salt and black pepper to taste
Steps to Make It