Wallis and Futuna – Faikai Malaulau Recipe
Last Updated on 13th November 2025
Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas collectivity made up of three main islands; Uvéa (Wallis), Futuna and Alofi; along with 20 uninhabited islands. The islands share a rich Polynesian culture closely connected to their neighbours, Samoa and Tonga.
Wallisian and Futunan cuisine is a beautiful blend of traditional Polynesian flavours and French influence. Fresh fish, tropical fruit , breadfruit, and coconuts are staples of daily life, each dish reflecting the abundance of the South Pacific.
Among the islands’ sweetest traditions is Faikai Malaulau a comforting dessert made with tapioca (cassava) dumplings simmered in a caramel sauce of coconut milk and sugar.
Traditionally, Faikai Malaulua is wrapped in banana leaves and cooking in an underground Polynesian earthen oven, or umu. You can watch the traditional method in the video below. Since I don’t have an umu, and digging one would probably upset the neighbours, I have adapted the recipe for a simple stovetop version that keeps all the flavour, no shovel required.
Faikai Malaulau
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 200g (1 cup) sugar
- 1 x 400g tin full fat coconut milk
- Pinch of sea salt to taste (optional)
Dumplings
- 500g Tapioca (Cassava) flour
- Approx 350ml hot (boiled) water
Instructions
- Add the tapioca (cassava) flour to a mixing bowl and gradually add hot water until the dough can be brought together to form small dumplings..
- Break the dough into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Slowly heat the sugar in a medium saucepan on a low heat until the sugar has caramelised into a rich golden brown syrup.
- Slowly add the coconut milk, stirring until the sugar and milk has combined. Be careful as it will spit at you. If the caramelised sugar clumps up, keep stirring until it eventually melts again.
- Turn the heat up to low-medium and bring to the boil, adding a pinch of sea salt, if you wish.
- Add the dumplings to the caramel sauce. Keeping on a low-medium heat, boil for 15 minutes until the dumplings are cooked and the caramel has thicken.
- Leave to cool for a short while before devouring!
Happy baking!
L x👣
