Characteristic products
Local fish and seafood are renowned for their excellent quality. On any island, they're fresh, delicious and close at hand, so there's plenty to go around. Lobsters, freshwater and marine shrimps, mussels, clams, sea urchins, oysters, lobsters, crabs, octopus, squid and countless other tasty fish take center stage. Traditionally, shark meat is not eaten, as according to local beliefs, this fish is the reincarnation of the sea god Dakuwaqa. Killing a shark would therefore bring bad luck. Sea turtles, on the other hand, were historically consumed, but changes in eating habits and severe environmental restrictions have drastically reduced their consumption.
While indigenous peoples have depended on seafood for their livelihood for millennia, meats such as chicken and lamb are very popular today. Beef and pigs are raised for special occasions such as weddings, and are bought young. Sausages and eggs, less expensive, are commonly purchased. Coconut is one of the most important ingredients in Fijian cuisine, particularly in the form of coconut milk. As for spices, the local cuisine is not very piquant, but not lacking in flavour, notably through the introduction of numerous ingredients from India: garlic, ginger, curry leaves or kaloupilé, turmeric, chilli, pepper, nutmeg, etc. Chinese influences are evident in the common use of soy sauce and oyster sauce.
You'll often hear the common term " root crops ", a must in the archipelago, which simply refers to the root vegetables that are indispensable in local cuisine. Among these starchy vegetables is the dalo or taro, which tastes like a cross between a potato and a chestnut. Its rhizomes are eaten boiled or steamed. Its cream-colored flesh is very rich in potassium. Its leaves are also used. Cassava - also known as tapioca or manioc - can be recognized by its brown bark. Its flesh is whitish and high in calories. Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root. It is used in soups and stews. It needs to be cooked for a long time, as it is toxic when raw. Kumala refers to the sweet potato. Introduced by the Indians, rice is now very common in the country. Other vegetables include carrots, squash, tomatoes, taro leaves and squash leaves. The bel or aibika is a cousin of the hibiscus, prized for its leaves. Finally,ota is a variety of fern whose crisp young shoots are much appreciated.
Although lifestyles are slowly changing, Fijians traditionally eat in small groups in village communities, sitting on the ground on a mat. The men and children normally eat first, then the women get together to finish. Indo-Fijians, on the other hand, eat at home with their families. Like native Fijians, they eat with their hands. Of course, cutlery is available in restaurants catering to tourists. There are generally three meals a day, although lunch is fairly light. Dinner is eaten early, from 6pm, and it's not uncommon for restaurants to start closing at 9pm. There are many different types of restaurant, from the simplest to the most upscale, not forgetting the well-established fast-food outlets. The consumption of sugary drinks and hyper-processed foods has become commonplace in the country. Like its Pacific neighbors, Fiji has a worrying obesity rate, particularly among young people.
Classics of Fijian cuisine
Miti is a widely used basic condiment, prepared with coconut cream, onion, lime juice, crushed tomato, salt and chilli. This rich, tangy, piquant sauce goes well with everything from raw vegetables to grilled fish. This marinade is used to prepare kokoda, the archipelago's signature dish, made with cubed raw fish that is "cooked" by the acidity of the lemon. More a cooking method than a dish in itself, lovo involves cooking food in an oven dug into the ground and filled with hot stones. Typical of the Pacific, it is similar to Chilean curanto, Hawaiianimu or Māori hāngi. Meat, fish, seafood and tubers are wrapped in coconut leaves and placed on the hot stones. The whole thing is covered with foliage and then earth to ensure steaming for several hours. Other specialties include palusami, a roll of taro leaves stuffed with coconut milk, onion and corned beef, all cooked in a papillote. Rourou is similar, but in the form of a stew. Suruwa is a fish curry revisited Fiji style.
Over a third of the country's population is of Indian origin, and this large community has strongly influenced local cuisine. A multitude of "curries" are served, of course, with rice and roti. And let's not forget samosas, triangular fried turnovers filled with spicy meat or vegetables. While in Europe chutney resembles a kind of spicy jam, in the tropics it's more akin to a sauce based on fresh condiments. Coconut is obviously a very popular ingredient in Fijian chutneys.
Desserts and drinks
Traditional desserts are relatively simple, including vakalolo or cassava cake made with manioc, coconut milk and grated coconut. Closely related, purini is a steamed cake made with coconut milk and brown sugar. The archipelago's tropical climate offers delicious fruits: pineapple, mango, papaya, banana, guava, not forgetting the soursop with its very sweet white pulp, and the rambutan, a cousin of the lychee. The country is famous for its high-quality bottled water, sold under the name Fiji Water, with its label flanked by a red hibiscus on a blue background. This so-called "artesian" water comes from an aquifer in the Yaqara Valley, sheltered in volcanic rock, where it is not in contact with bacteria or pollutants. The water is crystal-clear and very healthy, making it one of the most sought-after in the world.
Beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the country. The Island Brewing and Paradise Beverages breweries produce Vonu, Fiji Gold and Fiji Bitter, among others. There is also a small production of rum from the RUM Co distillery. Finally, kava or yaqona is a decoction made from Pacific pepper, a local plant whose multiple properties - soothing and antiseptic - have made it a very important beverage in local folklore, often drunk during traditional ceremonies.
