EATING THE FIJIAN WAY
In an indigenous Fijian household, a typical meal has two dishes: a main dish (kakana dina, or "real food") and a side dish (icoi, or "relish"). The main dish consists of a starchy root vegetable, usually cassava, taro, breadfruit or yams. The relish can be pork, beef, "bird meat" (chicken), fish or leafy vegetables such as bele (similar to spinach). Another favourite side dish is palusame (taro leaves cooked in coconut milk). Families eat together, sitting around a central mat on the floor.

Villagers sometimes take part in a yarayara (fish drive). Standing in a circle in deep water, they hold a thick vine rope and walk forward slowly. They shake the rope and beat poles to scare the fish into the centre. As the circle closes, the women slip under the rope and capture the fish in a net. Ika (baked fish) and kokoda (raw fish marinated in lime juice) are common dishes.
For special celebrations, villagers prepare a feast in a lovo (underground oven). They stack coconut husks on the floor of a deep pit and set them on fire. When the husks burn down, they place stones on top of them. Once the stones are hot, the villagers lower marinated meat and fish wrapped in banana leaves into the pit. A layer of wrapped vegetables goes in next, and banana leaves are spread on top. A second layer of stones locks in the heat. After two or three hours, the feast is ready.

In the Fijian Indian and Chinese communities, rice is the staple food. Popular dishes from India include idly (dumplings), masala dosa (a rice pancake served with coconut sauce) and roti (a pancake of wheat flour cooked on a grill). Curries made with mutton, goat and chicken are also popular. For religious reasons, Muslims do not eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef.
   Did you know?
Two nights a year, in October and November, the balolo (a small marine worm) rises to the ocean's surface to mate. Villagers go out at sunrise to scoop them up. They soak the worms in fresh water, then cook them overnight in a lovo.
In Fijian Indian homes, family members usually eat together, but on formal occasions, they may be served according to their rank. Women bring food to the older men first, then the younger men, and finally the children. If guests are visiting, the hosts will serve them generous helpings first. They may wait for the visitors to finish eating before helping themselves.

The different ethnic communities have influenced each other's cooking. Fijian Indians use coconut milk in many of their recipes, and indigenous Fijians spice some of their relishes with curry. Everyone drinks kava and enjoys a sweet pudding called vakalolo, made of cassava.