Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Cocosian recipes, part of Oceania. This page provides links to all the Cocosian recipes presented on this site, with 17 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cocosian recipes added to this site.

The cuisine of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is primarily based on Malay cuisine, as the vast majority of the islands’ inhabitants are of Malay origin (Cocos Malays). However, it also has its own specific features. The influence of other Asian cuisines and Australian cuisine is also evident (since the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are part of Australia).

These recipes, for the major part, originate in the Cocos Islands. Otherwise they are fusion recipes with major Cocosian influences.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands, officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Pulu Kokos (Keeling) in Cocos Islands Malay and Wilayah Kepulauan Cocos (Keeling) in Malay) are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and relatively close to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The territory's dual name (official since the islands' incorporation into Australia in 1955) reflects that the islands have historically been known as either the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands.

The territory consists of two atolls made up of 27 coral islands, of which only two – West Island and Home Island – are inhabited. The population of around 600 people consists mainly of Cocos Malays, who mostly practise Sunni Islam and speak a dialect of Malay as their first language.[8] The territory is administered by the Australian federal government's Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts as an Australian external territory and together with Christmas Island (which is about 960 kilometres (600 mi) to the east) forms the Australian Indian Ocean Territories administrative grouping. However, the islanders do have a degree of self-government through the local shire council. Many public services – including health, education, and policing – are provided by the state of Western Australia, and Western Australian law applies except where the federal government has determined otherwise. The territory also uses Western Australian postcodes.

The islands were discovered in 1609 by the British sea captain William Keeling, but no settlement occurred until the early 19th century. One of the first settlers was John Clunies-Ross, a Scottish merchant; much of the island's current population is descended from the Malay workers he brought in to work his copra plantation. The Clunies-Ross family ruled the islands as a private fiefdom for almost 150 years, with the head of the family usually recognised as resident magistrate. The British annexed the islands in 1857, and for the next century they were administered from either Ceylon or Singapore. The territory was transferred to Australia in 1955, although until 1979 virtually all of the territory's real estate still belonged to the Clunies-Ross family.

Etymology: The islands have been called the Cocos Islands (from 1622), the Keeling Islands (from 1703), the Cocos–Keeling Islands (since James Horsburgh in 1805) and the Keeling–Cocos Islands (19th century).[9] Cocos refers to the abundant coconut trees, while Keeling refers to William Keeling, who discovered the islands in 1609.

John Clunies-Ross,[10] who sailed there in the Borneo in 1825, called the group the Borneo Coral Isles, restricting Keeling to North Keeling, and calling South Keeling 'the Cocos properly so called'. The form Cocos (Keeling) Islands, attested from 1916, was made official by the Cocos Islands Act 1955 (3 & 4 Eliz. 2. c. 5).

Cocosian Cuisine:

The cuisine of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is primarily based on Malay cuisine, as the vast majority of the islands’ inhabitants are of Malay origin (Cocos Malays). However, it also has its own specific features. The influence of other Asian cuisines and Australian cuisine is also evident (since the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are part of Australia).

A very important ingredient in the cuisine of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is the coconut (as reflected in the name of the islands). Coconut palms are cultivated on the islands, and the production of coconuts, coconut oil, and copra is a significant part of the local economy.[3] A local specialty is also the coconut crab, a large crab that is caught for its meat. Other important ingredients on the islands include fish and seafood.

Typical dishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are mostly adapted from Malay cuisine, often simplified, as most ingredients have to be imported, and shops on the islands have not always been well-stocked historically. Among the most typical dishes are ayam goreng – spicy fried chicken pieces, nasi uduk – rice cooked in coconut milk, satay – grilled skewers, and ikan bakar – grilled fish.