Christmas Island cuisine facts for kids

The cuisine of Christmas Island is a cool mix of traditional Australian cuisine and Asian cuisine. You'll find lots of dishes inspired by Malaysia and Indonesia.

Who Lives on Christmas Island?

Christmas Island is home to about 1,200 people. Most residents are of Chinese or Malay background. There are also people from Europe, India, and mixed backgrounds. This mix of cultures makes the island's food very special!

How Christmas Island Gets Its Food

The Christmas Island Supermarket is a main place for fresh food.

It's tough to grow fresh food on Christmas Island. Tiny worms in the soil, called nematodes, make it hard for plants to grow well. But, there are three small community gardens. They grow Asian greens like bok choy and kangkong. These gardens build their plant beds above the ground to protect the plants.

Most fresh food comes from mainland Australia by ship. Since 2013, fresh vegetables also arrive by air from Malaysia every Friday. This air delivery brings special items like fresh noodles, Asian greens, fish, and tofu. These foods are very popular with the local community.

Sometimes, getting food to the island can be tricky. In 2012, a ship hit the main dock. This stopped food deliveries for a while. When ships can't deliver, air-freighted food often sells out super fast!

Wild Foods You Can Find

Because Christmas Island has tropical weather, many foods grow wild. You can find fruit trees all over the island and on private properties. Here are some of the things people can find by looking around:

• papaya
• mango
• coconut
• pumpkin
• chilli
• jackfruit
• wild lime
• bunga kantan (also called laksa flower)
• manquang (a Chinese turnip, also known as jicama)
• tapioca
• lemongrass
• banana
• guava

Some other tropical fruits, like rambutan and durian, don't grow here. This is because the soil isn't deep enough. Also, there isn't enough steady rain throughout the year for them.

Popular Meals on the Island

Since fresh produce can be hard to get, meals often use processed and canned food. These foods are easy to store and always available.

In the past, people kept chickens on the island. They would make their own pickled eggs and Chinese century eggs. Dishes with chicken were popular. People also used to eat Coconut crabs. But now, coconut crabs are a protected species. This means you cannot catch or eat them.

Places to Eat Out

Christmas Island has about 10 places where you can grab a bite. Many offer Chinese and Malaysian dishes. This reflects the traditional foods of the island's residents.

Here are some places to eat:

• Cari Makan - a Malay cafe at Kampong with different specials daily.
• Le CLA (Chinese Literary Association) - a Chinese restaurant at Settlement.
• The Barracks Cafe - an Australian cafe at Settlement.
• The Golden Bosun - an Australian style pub.
• The Christmas Island Resort - a restaurant with Western and Asian food.
• Tracks Tavern - a pub at Drumsite that sells burgers and Thai Food.
• Lucky Ho - a local Chinese Restaurant at Poon Saan.
• Seaview Fish and Chips - a local "chippie" in Poon Saan.
• Seasons Palace - another local Chinese Restaurant in Poon Saan.
• The Coffee Shop (also known as Poon Saan Kopi Tiam) - sells a different Malaysian hawker dish special every day.