Food in Fiji
FOOD - There are four types of cuisine in Fiji: 'local' or Fijian, European, Chinese and Indian.
Fijians are fond of eating heavy, starchy foods (such as cassava, yams and taro) and love their beef and pork. Meat or fish is often fried in oil, and many dishes are prepared with coconut milk, which is extremely rich. Fijians also put down massive quantities of food in one sitting. A typical Fijian meal at any given time might consist of beef or fried fish, boiled taro leaves topped with coconut cream, and starchy boiled cassava or taro on the side. Visitors may find this variety of cuisine (which is not unlike the food eaten in other South Pacific cultures) heavy. Seasoning is mostly limited to salt, lemon juice or hot chillies, typically applied by you after the dish is served. Greens are also consumed, but more so in a village setting than in urban areas. Traditional Fijian feasts are always prepared by men in a lovo (underground oven), in which the foods are wrapped in banana leaves and placed on red-hot rocks to steam for six to eight hours.
Some of the more common food words and dishes include:
bele - a green, always boiled
bu - green coconut, for drinking
bulamakau - beef
chicken - toa
dalo - taro, usually boiled and used much like potatoes are in the West
ika - fish
ivi - Fijian chestnut, taste and texture akin to European chestnut
jaina - banana
kokoda - fish marinated in lime juice or vinegar with chilli and onions
kumala - sweet potato
kuwawa - guava
lolo - coconut milk
maqo - mango
niu - brown coconut, grated and squeezed to get coconut milk
ota - a young fern, boiled and served with lolo
palusami - taro leaves baked in a lovo with tinned beef, onions and lolo, very rich
pork - puaka
rourou - boiled taro leaves (looks like spinach)
tavioka - cassava root, a starchy white root, generally boiled and eaten like potato
ura - freshwater prawns, usually prepared in a lovo
uto - breadfruit, usually baked, cooked in a lovo, or boiled
uvi - yam
vivili - shellfish
vudi - plantain
Note that although turtle (vonu) is still considered a delicacy by Fijians, there are strict laws and regulations regarding the capture of turtles. To preserve their numbers, turtles may only be caught at certain times of the year.
'European' cooking in Fiji is that bland variety of food - overcooked steak, potatoes and vegetables - so many of us have grown up with and don't find particularly exciting in Fiji or anywhere else. ('European' here refers to Australia, the USA and Britain, rather than continental Europe.) Again, seasoning is minimal, with over-salting common. Excellent Chinese and Indian food is well represented in Fiji, though the Indian style may be a bit spicy by European standards. Both cuisines make extensive use of local vegetables and an array of exotic spices. Note that vegetarians who visit Fiji are better off sticking to Indian cuisine which has a vegetarian tradition, rather than Fijian cuisine, which is very much meat-oriented.
Modern supermarkets and local outdoor markets feature a variety of locally grown and imported high-quality fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and every other conceivable household item. Those used to vegetables such as tomatoes, green onions, potatoes and the like, need not fear they will be lost in a sea of exotic local food - there is always plenty of familiar fare to be had. Mutton, pork, chicken and beef are abundant as well. Imported, canned goods are available but tend to be expensive. There is also fine locally produced cheese, milk and other dairy products. Locally grown fruit you might enjoy includes pineapples, guavas, mangoes, oranges, limes, papaws, avocados and bananas.
If you purchase fresh fruit at the market, be sure to wash it thoroughly before eating it. There are a plethora of nasty, tropical micro-organisms that may not agree with your system, so don't give them a chance to develop. Peeling the skins from vegetables and fruit is always a good idea.
The best good news for avid restaurant-goers is that the quantity and general quality of eateries has increased, especially in the Suva area. Moderately priced Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese and seafood restaurants have considerably brightened a previously bleak gastronomic landscape.
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