Traditional Marshallese food is simple, shaped by what small atolls produce. Breadfruit, coconut, pandanus, and fish are the staples. Coconut appears in almost everything — as a drink, as oil, as cream in cooked dishes. Breadfruit is roasted, boiled, or fermented into a paste called bwiro that can be stored for months. Fresh tuna and reef fish are grilled or eaten raw. On the outer islands, this diet is still largely intact.
In Majuro, the food scene is a mix of local cooking and American imports — the compact relationship with the United States has flooded the islands with canned goods, processed food, and fast food culture. Spam appears on many menus. There are Chinese and Filipino restaurants in the capital, a handful of local spots serving Marshallese home cooking, and American-style diners near the airport.
Eating well in Majuro requires some searching. The Robert Reimers Hotel restaurant is a reliable option for Western food. The local market near Uliga is the best place for fresh fish and produce; go early in the morning. For outer island travel, bring your own food and water — supplies are limited and expensive wherever they exist at all.
Kava, the mildly sedative root drink common across the Pacific, is consumed here too, though it is less central to social life than in Fiji or Vanuatu. Cold Budweiser, widely available in Majuro, appears to have become the local social lubricant of choice.