Located in the South Pacific at about 750 miles from Australia, New Caledonia is a mesmerizing tropical island, which should be on any traveler’s bucket list.

Where France and Pacific Meet

The island is a special collectivity of France, meaning while being autonomous, it’s dependent on France and all its inhabitants are French citizens. In the past, New Caledonia was a French penal colony and part of the French Empire.

New Caledonia has a population of approximately 271,000 and spans over an area of 7,172 square miles. Noumea is the island’s largest city and capital. Locals use the CFP franc as their currency.

Part of the mostly submerged continental fragment of Zealandia, New Caledonia has separated from Australia around 66 million years ago. It has two peaks that are almost identical in height – Mont Humboldt (5,308ft) and Mont Panie (5,344ft), and which greatly affect the island’s climate. On the east coast, New Caledonia is covered with lush vegetation while on the west coast, the landscape is much drier and features eye-catching savannahs.

New Caledonia Is Smaller Than Its Largest Lagoon

The island is home to a 9,300 square miles lagoon, which is one of the largest in the world. It’s surrounded by the picturesque and magnificent New Caledonian Barrier Reef, the longest continuous barrier reef on the planet, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

New Caledonia is regarded as a biodiversity hotspot by many scientists. It’s home to numerous unique species that are endemic to the island, meaning they can’t be found anywhere else on earth.

The mixture of Melanesian and French cultures offers visitors a unique experience. Whether it’s scuba diving, hiking, fine dining, or sunbathing on tropical beaches, New Caledonia is little-known heaven on earth that can offer all these activities and more to its guests. And the best part is that visitors don’t have to deal with large crowds since few people know about the island.

Undoubtedly, one of the most quintessential dishes people enjoy all throughout Libya is Macroona Imbakbaka. It has some of our favorite things: tomato, chicken, and pasta. Add in flavorful spices to the mix, and you have a scrumptious stew-like dish that will keep you wanting more and more. Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, cut and quartered.
• 1lb pasta of your choice
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• ⅔ cup tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 ½ tablespoon of Bzaar
• 11 cups of water (will be used in parts)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Prepare Macroona Imbakbaka Like They Do in Libya

Step 1

Grab a pot and put it on medium-high heat. Add the oil and sauté the onions. Then, add the chicken and let it brown for a few minutes.

Step 2

Lower the heat, then add the bzaar, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Combine everything well and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. After that, raise the temperature back to medium-high and add 7 cups of water. If you want to speed things up, you can pre-boil the water before pouring it into the pot.

Step 3

Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then lower back to medium-low heat and cover the pot with a lid. Let it simmer for about 25 minutes (or until the meat is cooked through).

Step 4

Once the meat is cooked, add the pasta. To get the traditional a-la Libya dish, break the pasta into 2-inch parts. Bring the heat back up to medium-high, add the remaining water, and let it boil. Crush the garlic cloves and add them to the pot together with the jalapeno. Stir occasionally, so the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Step 5

When the pasta is ready, serve and enjoy while still hot like they do in Libya.