Bula! This week’s Food Freeway adventure takes all of you to the beautiful country of Fiji, located in the South Pacific, roughly 2,000 km (1,300 miles) northeast of New Zealand. The islands (there are over 300 of them!) were formed by volcanoes, and though there is still volcanic activity, about a third of them are inhabited and culturally thriving.
The country was occupied by the British for the most part from the seventeenth to twentieth century, but it is now independent. The culture there is primarily Polynesian, as they were settled there before the Europeans came, and remained there during the occupation. For more history on Fiji, check out this website.
Over the years, the population of Fiji has changed; though the people were primarily Fijians, there are now more Indians, Europeans, and Asians. As you must’ve already guessed, this beautiful mixture of people not only plays a big part in the culture of the country, but also in the cuisine.
As Fiji is in a tropical locale, the ingredients are similar to those in other places with like climates (such as in the Caribbean). Seafood, of course, dominates, though beef, pork, and chicken are also consumed (thank goodness the practice of cannibalism ended late in the 19th century…). Vegetables and fruits (mango, bananas, pineapple, lime, orange, breadfruit, passionfruit, guava, taro, sweet potato, cassava, eggplant, onion, and bok choy), rice, roti (like naan bread), and tapioca (from cassava) are served as part of most dishes. Coconut is used in most dishes in one way or another, be it its oil, milk, water, or flesh. Coriander, ginger, cumin, garlic, basil, turmeric, chilies, and fenugreek, are all used to flavour food, resulting in a lovely mix between tradition Polynesian and Indian food (referred to as Indo-Fijian).
Yum.
Here’s a list of common dishes: Lentil and Potato Curry, Coconut Fish Soup, Spiced Dhal Soup, Ginger Fish, Chicken and Squash Soup, Fijian Raita, Kokoda (Fijian Spicy Fish), Baked Fish with Plantains, Cassava Pudding, and Sweet Potato Bread.
All of those dishes sound delicious – don’t they? Stay tuned for an authentic Fijian recipe, coming up on Wednesday! If you have been to Fiji and have a favourite dish, be sure to let me know!
* Note: Today’s photos are by melenama (water photo) and IWC-JAPAN (food photo).