Tahitian Coconut Bread

Bread came to Tahiti with the European missionaries and traders, and the French baguette became an island institution. But Tahitian bakers soon created their own beloved loaf, faraoa coco, enriched with coconut milk and shredded coconut — a tender, faintly sweet bread that has become the islands’ classic breakfast, sold fresh from bakeries every morning.

What makes it great is its gentle sweetness and moist, tender crumb, with shreds of coconut running through every slice. Toasted and buttered with a cup of coffee, it is the taste of a Papeete morning, and the loaf disappears from the table faster than any bakery bread.

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