Timor-Leste Overview
- Overview - Customs and Culture - Diet and Recipes - Language - Religion - Events and Holidays - Interesting Facts
People Government - Politics Geography Environment & Climate Economy News - Weather History National Symbols Photos Videos Travel and Tourism Link-to-CountryReports Sources   United States Edition Video Library

What do people eat in Timor-Leste?

Diet

The East Timor diet is affected by the short supply of many staples since the conflict. The cuisine shares elements of Chinese, Portuguese, and Indonesian. Rice accompanies most meals. Other staples commonly found are cassava, potato, yam, and corn. Many meals are spicy, and coconut milk is used. A popular meal is beans and corn. A meat meal on the menu is tukir, consisting of lamb traditionally cooked inside bamboo with many spices. A dish traditional to villages along the coast outside Dili is called saboko. Saboko is made from sardines mixed with tamarind sauce and spices, firmly wrapped in palm leaves, and cooked on a fire. There is some local fruit without English names. Palm wine and palm alcohol are consumed in local bars and in villages. Tourists and officials mainly frequent restaurants.

Mealtime

Typically, breakfast is served by 7 AM, lunch between noon and 2: 00 PM, and dinner between 6 and 8 pm. The fork is often held in the right hand to eat. It is improper to eat or hand things to people with the left hand. Coconut juice and lemonade are common drinks, along with coffee. Most people eat at home or at the houses of friends or family. Street stalls are common in the larger towns.

Popular Timor-Leste Recipes

Back to Timor-Leste Facts

World Regions
Africa Asia Central America Europe Middle East North America Oceania South America The Caribbean
Most Popular
United States of America China France Italy Canada Spain India Brazil Mexico
All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe