Mā'a tinito aboard the Vaeara'i
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
6 a.m. It's still pitch black, but dawn is just around the corner. The Vaeara'i docks, its yellow hull opening, its gangway lowering like a tongue through which vehicles slip towards the mainland. Among the early morning passengers is Rackel Temahu, a specialist in mā'a tinitō. Not just for the dish's flavor, but for her ability to prepare it in all weather. Let's follow the Vaeara'i's chef between Tahiti and Moorea: she'll share the secrets of her succulent recipe!
© Text & photos: Doris Ramseyer
A well-seasoned team
Today's maritime report: rough seas, two-meter southwest swell. It's going to be rough. But Rackel Temahu and her team are seasoned veterans: "It can get much rougher! Today's really not the worst!" confides the head cook of the Vaeara'i. A position she has held since the ship entered service in June 2021. In four years, she has learned to have her sea legs, to keep a watchful eye on the pots and pans that sometimes threaten to go flying, to brace herself during the rolling motions, and to keep the smell of food from disturbing her stoic stomach. Rackel manages a team of six: "Besides knowing how to cook well, you mustn't suffer from seasickness, that's important!"
Cooking here rhymes with traveling
The Vaeara'i has left the quay, the harbor, the channel. In the waterway, horizontality no longer holds the same meaning. Rackel and Heimiti, the second-in-command, are working in the center of the ship, in the adjoining space of the Kaikai restaurant. Stainless steel ceiling, stainless steel walls, stainless steel kitchen units, stainless steel doors: a metallic, air-conditioned world where artificial lighting compensates for the lack of windows, enlivened by a playlist of local and international hits. Imperturbable and cheerful, the cooks juggle pots and utensils, refrigerators and stovetops, cold plates and hot dishes, despite the ship's movements.
Rackel adapts to daytime or nighttime schedules, to calm or rough seas: here, cooking rhymes with travel. As soon as she steps through the door of her domain, she mingles with various passengers and colleagues. Then, before her eyes, diverse seascapes and island landscapes unfold, from Tahiti and Moorea to the Leeward Islands and even the Tuamotu Archipelago. Rackel thoroughly enjoys her work on board! Sometimes, she even swaps her chef's hat for a microphone: her magnificent voice then brings the Vaeara'i's voyages and events to life!
Mā'a tinitō: a Chinese dish with local ingredients
Hot stuff! Despite the rolling motion, Rackel crosses the galley with a heavy, boiling pot to the worktop. He skillfully pours the red beans into a dish. He doesn't burn himself. He smiles. "Ma'a tinito is prepared every Friday on the Vaeara'i! Originally, it's a dish made only with vermicelli, but the Polynesians added macaroni!" Rackel explains.
The Chinese cook who unknowingly invented ma'a tinito simply took whatever local ingredients he had on hand and created what has become an iconic Polynesian dish! At home, Rackel also opens her fridge and cupboards to create her own recipes or improve traditional dishes. Her sense of taste is particularly refined. Ingredients are like words that, barely mentioned, transform into flavors in her mind, even before she's cooked them. On board, too, she sometimes enhances basic recipes; recently, she had some peaches, which she added to her pork with pineapple recipe. A delicious impromptu dish!
The metallic clinking of objects as they move, sway, and slide under the force of the waves. The already prepared dishes rest on non-slip surfaces: macaroni, vermicelli, red beans. The water from the legumes ripples along the length of the dish, threatening to overflow, but the cooks keep a watchful eye, while the meat simmers on the stove, releasing delicious aromas… as long as your stomach holds up!
A passion, a legacy
Rackel has always worked in the kitchen. "Before, I worked in a restaurant in Pirae, then in Faa'a." She adds, "My paternal grandfather was one of the very first street vendors in Tahiti!" This knowledge was passed down through generations until Rackel acquired it, mastered it, and made it her profession. She cooks all kinds of dishes, with a preference for Chinese cuisine and using a wok for stir-frying. On the boat, there's no open fire like in the food trucks, but induction cooktops.
Everything is done on site
Rice is a traditional accompaniment to Mā'a tinitō. This Friday, Mā'a tinitō is prepared by a fantastic team: Rackel and Heimiti.
Vaeara'i's cuisine uses fresh, local produce, sourced from both wholesalers and small producers. "Everything is made on-site!" emphasizes the head chef: rib-eye steaks and various side dishes, roasts, fried foods such as fish and chips, a variety of salads and snacks, burgers, grilled or raw fish (three raw fish recipes, sashimi, carpaccio). Only the pastries are sourced from outside, and even then, not always.
The swell has calmed: the ship enters Papeete harbor. On a plate, Rackel arranges the rice, adds the deliciously tender red beans, and tops them with vermicelli and macaroni. She then serves the pota and finishes with the tender and flavorful braised pork, then sprinkles everything with chopped green onions. The Vaeara'i's ma'a tinito, cooked with consummate skill and lulled by the Pacific waves, is exquisite!
Article published in Tama'a magazine #37 - Marquesas Islands Special - January 2026
