Christmas Island cuisine

, the island had just 1,200 residents: 65% Chinese Malaysians, 20% Malaysian Malays, and 15% of European descent. There are also small Malaysian Indian and Eurasian communities on the island. Previously an additional 2,000+ people lived at the Christmas Island Immigration Reception and Processing Centre. Their meals were flown in by the Australian Government via operator Serco. The centre was closed in October 2018 but re-opened in 2019, and as of early 2020 hosted only one family of Tamil asylum seekers. ==Food supply==

Almost no fresh food is grown on the island due to nematodes in the soil. When food supplies by ship are not available, air-freighted deliveries have been known to sell out within hours. ==Wild food==

Due to the tropical nature of Christmas Island's weather, a wide variety of food grows wild on the island. Fruit trees are found dotted around the island and on private properties. Some of the things that can be found by foraging on Christmas Island include: • papaya • mango • coconut • pumpkin • chilli • jackfruit • wild lime • bunga kantan (also known as laksa flower or torch ginger flower - botanical name Etlingera elatior) • manquang (a Chinese turnip also known as jicama) • tapioca • lemongrass • banana • guava Many other well known tropical fruits such as rambutan, lychee and durian do not grow on Christmas Island as there is inadequate soil depth and not enough steady rainfall throughout the year. ==Meals==

As a result of supply issues, whole fresh produce can be difficult to acquire and so meals that make use of processed foods and canned foods are popular. Traditionally, chickens were kept on the island and locals produced their own pickled eggs and Chinese century eggs. Dishes that made use of the chickens themselves were popular along with dishes that included local coconut crabs. However, coconut crabs are now a protected species. The island has a number of noodle bars offering Chinese and Malaysian dishes in accordance with the traditional cuisines of the island's residents. ==See also==