Polynesian Culinary Workshop in Paopao Valley, Moorea

Cook three Polynesian dishes in a working kitchen surrounded by the valley's gardens and pineapple fields.

A Polynesian culinary workshop in Paopao Valley, Moorea, where you make raw fish in coconut milk, po'e (fruit dessert) and coconut bread in a professional kitchen space next to a production laboratory, then share the meal you've prepared. The session runs about three and a half hours and includes all ingredients, lunch, snacks, coffee and tea. Children are welcome from age 7, and guides Stevenson and Audrey teach in English, Spanish or French.

The experience

Paopao Valley's culinary workshop puts you in a professional kitchen designed for hands-on learning, not observation. You work alongside your guides to make three dishes: raw fish in coconut milk (starting with fresh coconut to extract the milk), po'e (a steamed or baked fruit dessert wrapped in banana leaf), and ipo (coconut bread). The recipes and techniques are the ones Polynesian cooks use at home, and the fish, vegetables and fruit come from the valley's growing gardens or local suppliers.

The workshop sits next to a production laboratory, so you see how ingredients move from harvest to kitchen. Between making each dish, your guides share the history and current life of Polynesian culture: how traditional foods fit into daily meals today and how the society is changing. The space is designed so children from age 7 can participate safely and learn alongside adults.

When the cooking finishes, you eat together. The meal is the food you've made, shared in a family-style setting. Snacks, coffee and tea are included throughout the session, and the three and a half hours covers the full arc from raw ingredients to the table.

What’s included

• All ingredients for the three dishes you prepare.
• lunch (the meal you cook together).
• snacks throughout the session.
• coffee and tea.
• professional kitchen space and instruction from your guides.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday and FridayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (18 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (15 to 17 years) · Child (7 to 14 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcome

Operated by Food&CookLab Tahiti-Moorea

Is this one for you?The three and a half hour session leaves the rest of your day free, so it fits easily into a morning or afternoon without consuming the whole day. If you want to cook and eat rather than watch a demonstration, this hands-on format is the difference. You make the dishes yourself, not observe someone else making them.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 17 years); Child (7 to 14 years). Under 7: they can't be included in the booking.

What exactly do I cook in the Polynesian culinary workshop?

You make three dishes: raw fish in coconut milk (including the step of extracting milk from fresh coconut), po'e (a fruit dessert made with banana, guava, papaya, mango or pumpkin, coconut milk and banana leaf), and ipo (coconut bread made from grated coconut flesh, steamed or baked). All three are traditional Polynesian home cooking.

What's included in the price?

All ingredients for the three dishes, lunch (the meal you cook), snacks, coffee and tea are included. Fees and taxes are also covered in the price.

Where exactly is the workshop located?

The workshop is in Paopao Valley on Moorea, in a professional kitchen space next to a production laboratory and surrounded by the valley's growing gardens and pineapple fields.