Fijian

Experience the taste and variety of Fijian cuisine.  Traditional Fijian food is usually steamed or boiled. A favourite is the ‘Lovo’ whereby root crops such as taro, cassava, sweet potato, chicken, fish, pork, lamb and vegetables are baked underground in extreme heat created by heated rocks. Once the required heat is reached, the food is wrapped in banana leaves, or sometimes foil nowadays, and placed on the rocks.  It is then covered again with banana leaves with dirt piled on top to retain the heat. A lovo generally takes around 2-3 hours to cook. After the lovo is opened the food is prepared for serving. Lovos are available in many restaurants but only on set days due to the preparation time involved.
Then there is ‘lolo’ derived from the coconut. The coconut is scraped with a coconut scraper with the flesh then mixed with water, placed in a cloth and squeezed to extract the coconut milk leaving the coconut scrapings. The range of food that can be cooked in lolo is endless however the most popular being any type of seafood. Lolo is also used to create a very popular Fijian dish called ‘Miti’ consisting of coconut milk mixed with onions, chili and lemon juice. This is used as a condiment to enhance the taste of seafood dishes.

And what about the universal BBQ stands located at almost every corner (not quite so Fijian). These bbq outlets are the result of Fijian entrepreneurs seeing a gap in the market and filling it. Late in the evenings, when club patrons start to spill onto the footpaths, their priorities turn to food. At this late hour most restaurants are closed hence the bbq stands giving bar patrons the opportunity to earn extra cash to assist with their daily living expenses. Priced around F$5 a serve they do a roaring trade with the menu consisting of lamb chops, sausage, cassava or dalo, onions and a smattering of coleslaw.