Laplap

{{Short description|Vanuatu National Dish}} {{distinguish|Lap-lap}} {{Infobox food | name = Laplap | image = File:Laplap 02.jpg | caption = Laplap | alternate_name = | country = Vanuatu | region = | national_cuisine = | creator = | year = | time1 = | time2 = | course = | type = | served = | main_ingredient = breadfruit, taro, yam, coconut cream, pork, beef, chicken or flying fox | minor_ingredient = | variations = | serving_size = | calories = | protein = | fat = | carbohydrate = | glycemic_index = | similar_dish = | other = }} '''Laplap''' (sometimes incorrectly spelled ''lap lap'') is the national dish of Vanuatu.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2008/s2528790.htm |title=The secrets of Vanuatu's national dish, the Lap Lap |date=2009-03-29 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226143443/http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2008/s2528790.htm |archive-date=2022-12-26}}</ref> Laplap is prepared by grating breadfruit, bananas, taro or yam roots into a vegetable paste.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vanuatutraveller.com/lap-lap/|title=Anyone for some Lap-Lap ? {{!}} Vanuatuan Cuisine.|date=2016-04-13|work=Vanuatu Traveller {{!}} vanuatutraveller.com|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en-AU}}</ref> The paste is then wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an underground stone oven, with fresh coconut cream. Meats like pork, beef, chicken or flying fox can be added.<ref>[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10490498 Vanuatu: Laplap up some tropical flavour] (+photos)</ref>

[[Image:Laplap_sosor.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.5|''Laplap sosor'', a variant of the national dish from Malakula island, before cooking]]

==Etymology== The word ''laplap'' (spelled in one word) comes from Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu.<ref>See [https://books.google.fr/books?id=cZoVLi0NJ0QC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&lpg=PA147&vq=laplap&dq=bislama%20dictionary&pg=PA147#v=onepage&q=laplap&f=false entry ''laplap''], p.147 of: Crowley, Terry. 2003. ''A new Bislama dictionary,'' 2d ed. Suva: Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific.</ref> It finds its origin in some of the Oceanic languages of the country: e.g. Dorig ''lablab'' {{IPA|wwo|laᵐblaᵐb|}}, Nume ''labalam'' {{IPA|tgs|laᵐbalam|}}, both reflecting a Proto-Torres-Banks form ''*laᵐbalaᵐba''.

The majority of indigenous languages of Vanuatu, however, name the dish using other roots. For example, Mota ''loko'' {{IPA|mtt|loko|}} and Raga ''loḡo'' {{IPA|lml|loᵑɡo|}} reflect a Proto-North-Central Vanuatu etymon ''*loᵑgo'';<ref name="Clark-Vanuatu">{{cite book |last=Clark |first=Ross |title=Leo Tuai: A comparative lexical study of North and Central Vanuatu languages |date=2009 |publisher=Pacific Linguistics |location=Canberra |issn=1448-8310 |doi=10.15144/PL-603 |doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 |hdl=1885/146751 |isbn=978-0-85883-600-6 |url=http://hdl.handle.net/1885/146751}}</ref> Hiw ''tegōv'' {{IPA|hiw|təɣoβ|}}, Lemerig ''’ëgëv'' {{IPA|lrz|ʔœɣœβ|}} and Mwotlap ''na-tgop'' {{IPA|mlv|natɣɔp|}} reflect Proto-Torres-Banks ''*taɣoβe'';<ref>See [https://marama.huma-num.fr/Lex/Mwotlap/t.htm#%E2%93%94t%5Bo%5Dgop entry ''t‹o›gop''] in A. François’ [https://marama.huma-num.fr/AF-dict-Mwotlap_e.htm ''Mwotlap online dictionary''].</ref> Araki has ''ureeje'' {{IPA|akr|uɾeet͡ʃe|}},<ref>See [https://marama.huma-num.fr/Lex/Araki/u.htm#%E2%93%94ureeje entry ''ureeje''] in A. François’ [https://alex.francois.online.fr/AF-Araki-dict.htm ''Araki online dictionary''].</ref> Tamambo has ''wewe'', etc.

==Main recipes== {{Expand section|date=January 2025}}

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:Vanuatuan cuisine Category:National dishes Category:Bislama words and phrases