Tama is a small, sweet, deep-fried fritter from Palau with a round shape, a crisp golden exterior, and a dense, soft interior. The basic batter is made from flour, sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, salt, and vanilla before being fried in hot oil. The name comes from the Japanese word tama, meaning “ball” or “round object,” referring directly to the fritter’s shape. Tama developed during the period of strong Japanese influence in Palau. Japan took control of the islands in 1914, and Palau later became part of the Japanese-administered South Seas Mandate. Large Japanese and Okinawan communities settled there, particularly around Koror, and their influence left a lasting mark on local food culture. Tama was already being sold during the Japanese period. Palauan oral histories from the 1930s remember Japanese shops selling small fried dough balls under this name alongside coffee, shaved ice, rice dishes, and other sweets. One account specifically recalls being able to buy two tama for five sen. The fritters are closely related in form to Japanese and Okinawan fried sweets, particularly sata andagi, the round Okinawan doughnuts made from flour, sugar, and eggs. The batter begins by beating whole eggs with milk and vanilla until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, wheat flour is mixed with granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. The wet ingredients are then stirred into the dry mixture until a thick, smooth batter forms. It needs to be firm enough to hold a rounded shape when dropped into the oil but still soft enough to expand during frying. Small spoonfuls of batter are dropped into deep hot vegetable oil. As the fritters heat, the baking powder releases gas and causes them to expand into rounded balls. They are turned as necessary so the surface browns evenly. The oil should be hot but not smoking. If it is excessively hot, the outside darkens before the dense center has cooked through. At the proper temperature, the surface develops a crisp golden crust while the inside remains soft and slightly spongy. Once fully browned, the tama are lifted from the oil with a slotted spoon and placed on paper towels or a rack to drain the excess surface fat. The most important variation is tama tuu, which adds ripe banana directly to the batter. Tuu means banana in Palauan, making the name literally banana tama. This is a specifically localized development of the basic fritter and is now an established Palauan variation. For tama tuu, very ripe bananas are mashed and mixed into the wet ingredients. Their natural sugar increases browning, while their moisture gives the interior a softer, heavier texture and a pronounced banana flavor. Because the fruit adds liquid to the batter, the amount of milk may need to be reduced to maintain the correct thickness. Modern tama tuu formulas can contain generous quantities of banana while retaining eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, baking powder, and sometimes baking soda. The result remains crisp outside but is moister and more tender than plain tama. Tama are usually served plain rather than covered with powdered sugar, icing, or a heavy glaze. Their sweetness comes from the sugar already mixed into the batter. They are commonly eaten as a breakfast food or snack and are also sold as takeaway sweets. Hot coffee is a common pairing, with its bitterness balancing the sweet fried dough, although coffee is an accompaniment rather than a required part of serving tama.
Ulkoy are deep-fried Palauan shrimp and squash fritters with a crunchy texture. In Palau, they are a national favorite along with being a delicious treat for the tourists. These fritters are usually additionally flavored with a zesty Creole seasoning, salt, cayenne pepper, and freshly chopped parsley leaves.
EVEN THOUGH THERE'S STILL NO EVIDENCE FOR THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THIS DISH AND CORONAVIRUS, NOR IS THERE A SINGLE CASE OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN PALAU, IT'S A KNOWN FACT THAT FRUIT BATS HARBOR MORE VIRUSES THAN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT, SO IT'S RECOMMENDED TO EXERCISE CAUTION BEFORE ORDERING OR EATING THIS DISH. Fruit bat soup is a Palau delicacy made with small fruit bats who reside in forested areas at the top of trees. They consume nectar, flowers, and wild fruits, helping with the distribution of seeds during the process. The bats' diet of flowers and fruits also results in their meat being sweeter than the meat of other bats. The soup is prepared by boiling the washed bats in water, then cooking them with ginger, coconut milk, and various spices (and often vegetables) depending on the cook's preferences. It is typically served in large bowls, with the bat staring at your face, and the proper way to eat it is to chew the bat, sucking the meat out in the process and discarding the leftover fur. What was once a staple of the locals' diet became a delicacy over the years, and since the end of 2019, it became a controversial dish due to possible (but not proven!) correlation with the infamous coronavirus.
Udon is a Palauan dish made with a soy sauce-based broth and spaghetti pasta, since it is easier to acquire it than the authentic udon noodles. The dish has less broth than the Japanese udon, and it is more similar to Okinawa soba. The dish is called udon due to the presence of former Japanese administration in Palau.
Although rösti is a term that is mainly used in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland, referring to a small potato patty, the Palauans have supposedly adopted both the term and the recipe from the Germans and substituted the potatoes with taro root, which is heavily represented in the Pacific Islands cuisine. The taro root is peeled, grated, then combined with onions, salt, and pepper into a homogenous mixture. It is then fried in oil on each side until golden-brown in color and served while still hot, making for a quick snack or a tasty side dish.
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