Food Fijian Style

Since I’ve been in Fiji for a week staying a mission base, I’ve tasted a gamut of flavors.

Most of them, unfortunately, included white rice.

It surprised me (but then again it didn’t) that so much of the food eaten by the locals on this island in the South Pacific was pre-packaged and completely unhealthy. Do they not realize the gold mine that is their fertile, tropical soil? Mango trees and cassava plants just spring up unannounced. Just imagine what they could do if they tended a garden!

But, with so much Western influence through tourism, I guess the lure of quick and easy takes precedent.

(Don’t even get me started on sending ‘food’ like white rice to places like Africa. As much as I don’t want to see anyone go hungry, feeding them fake food that has been stripped of all it’s nutrients is not helping. Shouldn’t we be teaching people how to grow their own food? Another topic for another time…)

While I did eat quite a bit of white food during my week in Fiji, I ate some incredibly tasty dishes as well. One of my favorite lunches was tuna with grated carrots, served on fresh bread with tomatoes and cucumber slices.

We were also lucky enough to be around for Family Night at the base. We had a ridiculously large potluck meal and celebrated the base director’s daughter’s 16th birthday.

Cassava, Chicken Chow Mein . . .

. . . Tuna with greens and coconut milk . . .

. . . And pineapple.

Oh, Fijian pineapple.

Best pineapple I’ve put in my mouth.

Ever.

What is your favorite tropical food? Are you as obsessed with foods like pineapple and coconut as I am?