Nothing says Samoan more than taro. Baked, deep fried orsteamed, this “potato of the tropics” figures prominently at anySamoan Thanksgiving table. “We do taro much better than the Hawaiians ...

Through Mr. Lauano's efforts, over 2,000 kilograms of Samoan taro made their way to New Zealand, crossing borders with zero tariffs under the PACER Plus agreement.

Well, maybe Samoan-Chinese, because there was egg foo yung on my plate, but I ordered it from a Samoan takeaway joint, and I was a happy camper. The cuisine here is not so different from Guam’s.

Well, maybe Samoan-Chinese, because there was egg foo yung on my plate, but I ordered it from a Samoan takeaway joint, and I was a happy camper. The cuisine here is not so different from Guam’s.

The cuisine here is not so different from Guam’s. The one meal will define Samoan cuisine for me, but I’ve seen some menus, and some places and some meals, and I think I’ve got it mostly down.

Common Christmas main courses are Samoan chop suey (sapa sui) and crab. Among the sides, taro or plantains baked in coconut are among the most popular. The most popular ingredient, by far, is coconut.

And the carbs in Boutique Samoa's Island plate lunch are a cut of sweet, bulky taro the size of a computer speaker. There are other options on the always sweltering buffet table.

The cuisine here is not so different from Guam’s. The one meal will define Samoan cuisine for me, but I’ve seen some menus, and some places and some meals, and I think I’ve got it mostly down.

Well, maybe Samoan-Chinese, because there was egg foo yung on my plate, but I ordered it from a Samoan takeaway joint, and I was a happy camper. The cuisine here is not so different from Guam’s.