'Ota 'ika

Ota ika is a Oceanian dish consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut milk. The Tongan, Tahitian, and Samoan variants are essentially identical in that the raw fish is briefly marinated in lemon or lime juice until the surface of the flesh becomes opaque. The fish is then mixed with coconut milk and diced vegetables. This is the national dish of Tonga.

Names

The word "ota" means "raw" within the Polynesian language group, although the more common term for the dish in French Polynesia is its French equivalent, poisson cru. Any type of seafood can be used to make "ota". The word "ika" means fish, but the dish is often prepared with mussels, prawns, crab, lobster, octopus/squid, sea urchin, and eel.

Similar dishes are kinilaw and Kilawin#Variations of the Philippines, and kelaguen of the Marianas Islands. Poke and lomi-lomi salmon of Hawaii are also similar. It is also similar to Latin American ceviche.