Maheata A Life of Flavor and Sharing
- 30 déc. 2025
- 3 min de lecture
Since 2020, cook and media personality Maheata has been sharing her recipes on air and on screen. This October, she released her first book, Mea Reka, published by Au Vent des Îles. The collection brings together 84 delightful ideas for appetizers, dishes, and mains— all based on local ingredients. More than just a recipe book, it’s an invitation to rediscover the joy of cooking.
© Text & Photos: Delphine Barrais
Simply Good
The title Mea Reka means “simply good” or “so good” in Paumotu. It perfectly captures the spirit of the book.
“By sharing my recipes,” says Maheata, “I want to inspire people and show that local products can spark real creativity.”Over 80% of her ingredients come from the ocean and the fenua (the land).
“I want readers to reconnect with cooking,” she adds.“It’s not just about cost or time—many people have simply forgotten how to cook.”
Maheata learned her craft at home, watching and helping her family.She first recalls her maternal grandmother, Mémé Céline, a “strong, strict woman” who put deeply flavorful dishes on the table.
“As a child, I watched her all the time.With just a few ingredients, she could make magic.”
Her cooking was simple but fresh—fish straight from the lagoon, vegetables from the nearby fa’a’apu (garden).
“One day I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”
Her mother, Mama Kaino, made “comforting family dishes” and “desserts and jams you remember for a lifetime.”Together, they went fishing for ‘ōuma (crab) and picked guavas in the Vaianae valley.
With just a few ingredients, she could make magic
Her father, John Smith, a passionate fisherman, brought home tarao, roi, maito, to’au, and pa’ati almost daily.
“He taught me to fish and to grow food,” she says.“Cooking was always a shared experience for us—men and women together. It was a real moment of connection.”
Blended Origins, diverse flavors
Born in Moorea, Maheata embodies a mix of Tahitian, Chinese, English, and Paumotu heritage—a reflection of the diversity that flavors her cuisine. After high school, she studied literature, arts, and communication in Los Angeles, where she discovered a world of culinary variety.
Later, in Europe—especially France—she found herself in “a culinary paradise.” Her taste buds traveled far, and her memory filled with new combinations and ideas.
Maheata began her professional life in communications and event planning but always knew she would one day return to cooking. At 40, she made the leap. While still working in the social sector, she trained for her culinary certification
(CAP Cuisine) at the Grepfoc, “because becoming a chef isn’t something you improvise—I needed to master the basics.” She graduated in 2016, left her job, and joined a restaurant kitchen.
In 2020, she launched Simplement bon chez vous on Api FM/NRJ, followed by a TNTV show the next year. Since early 2025, she has
hosted Mea Reka—a program that shares recipes, the love of good food, and even price estimates to show viewers “that cooking doesn’t have to be expensive.”
The recipes featured in her debut book are familiar favorites—largely plant-based and ocean-inspired. Reinvented with creativity and
flair, they are a boundless source of inspiration for anyone ready to roll up their sleeves and rediscover the pleasure of home cooking.
With Maheata, Mea Reka comes home to you!
