8,400 eggs and a 3.5-metre frying pan: New Caledonia bonds over giant omelette

A crowd gathers as New Caledonia chefs use huge wooden spatulas to stir the giant omelette at the festival of the city of Dumbéa. Photograph: Cooper Williams and Yasmine Wright Gittins/The Guardian

Using 8,400 eggs, 25kg of venison sausage and 14 bottles of salt and pepper, New Caledonia’s giant omelette festival aims to bring people together in a region that is often divided.

“It is important to have festivals like this. The giant omelette is a symbol of sharing,” says veteran chef Reine Chenot.