Tahitian Pahua Salad

Pahua, the giant clam of Polynesian lagoons, has been gathered by islanders at low tide for centuries, prized for its sweet, briny meat. Like fish in poisson cru, the raw clam is cooked by lime juice, then folded into coconut cream with fresh vegetables — a technique Polynesians perfected long before anyone coined the word ceviche.

What makes it great is the contrast: tender, mild clam against a bright, citrusy dressing, cooled by cucumber and tomato, all wrapped in silky coconut cream. Served chilled with crusty bread, it is the appetizer that starts every Tahitian celebration and tastes like the lagoon itself.

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