Food in Rarotonga

We had heard rumors before we left Australia that visitors to the Cook Islands usually bring lots of food with them. In the end we decided that bringing our own food would be too much extra work. After all, the Cook Island has a very strong link to New Zealand, there should be food in the stores.

After our first visit to a grocery store we realized that we had made the wrong decision. Unless you like corned beef and spam in a can or are prepared to pay 16 dollars per kilo for an imported pepper it is practically impossible to find anything enjoyable to eat.

Arriving on a Saturday did not make things easier. The super markets were closed for the weekend and we could only find a small convenience store. When eggs was the only thing that did not come in a tin can we decided to give up and go out for dinner at a restaurant.

We couldn't help but ask the locals where they got fresh fruit and vegetables from. The secret is that you need your own vegetable garden to be able to afford fresh produce.

Rarotonga has a warm tropical climate with plenty of rain due to the mountain peaks on the island. Ninety percent of the vegetables we saw in the grocery store were imported from New Zealand. It is unfortunate because the Cook Islands is the perfect place to grow fruit and vegetables and still you don't see a single fruit or vegetable stand along the roadside.