Fijian Cuisine

Fijian cuisine draws on the bounty of the ocean and the fertile islands, built around fresh fish and seafood, coconut, tropical fruit and starchy root crops like taro and cassava. The signature dish is kokoda, fresh raw fish marinated in coconut cream and lime with chilli and onion, the Pacific's answer to ceviche. The great communal feast is the lovo, meats, fish and vegetables wrapped in leaves and slow-cooked in an earth oven. A large Indo-Fijian community also gives Fiji a rich and beloved curry and roti tradition.

What you actually see

• Kokoda - the fresh fish cured in coconut cream and lime.
• The lovo feast - the earth-oven-cooked meats and root vegetables.
• The Indo-Fijian curries - the roti, curries and dhal.
• The taro and coconut dishes - the root crops and coconut cooking.

When to go

Year-round; markets brim with tropical fruit, root vegetables and fresh fish, resorts and villages prepare the lovo feast, and towns offer excellent, cheap Indo-Fijian curries and roti. The fusion of Melanesian and Indian food traditions makes Fiji's eating surprisingly varied.

Honest expectations

Traditional Fijian food is simple, fresh and starchy, centred on fish, coconut and root crops rather than complex flavours, so its appeal is freshness and the communal lovo experience; resort buffets can be bland and generic. The often-overlooked Indo-Fijian curries, though, are a genuine highlight, and the fresh kokoda and tropical fruit are delicious. Eaten authentically, Fijian food is fresh, wholesome and characterful.

Nearby

Suva's market, roadside eateries and village feasts are the places to eat.