Underground Food and Cooking in Fiji

Underground Food – Yummo!

The lovo is the Fijian equivalent of Underground Food, and literally means ‘earth oven’.  Here is an example which you can see at the Arts Village at the Pacific Harbour area:

Underground Food and Cooking is found in different cultures, from the South Pacific to North America.

The concept is the same – burying meat and vegetables underground with hot wooden coals. The earth acts as an oven, trapping the heat and cooking the food over a period of many hours, making it super tender.

Usually a feast consisting of pigs and chickens and vegetables is cooked throughout the day.

Underground Food Methodology

Firstly, a pit is dug, and then the ground is lined with heat-resistant stones. When the stones are hot, food, wrapped in (banana) leaves, is placed in the pit, covered with soil and left to cook before being exhumed and eaten.

Here is picture of some Lovo food.

The green stuff is Palusami, which are parcels of taro leaves saturated with coconut milk.

The people at the Arts Village can demonstrate how the lovo works.  It’s a tasty way to have a good feed!

And when you go to Fiji, you’ll be doing a lot of eating, which is a big part of the culture.  I had to check myself in as excess baggage on the flight back home!

It’s even better since the Fijians stopped eating people in the 1800s.  I don’t think I’d taste that good anyway! Or maybe I thought it was strange that the locals were eyeing me off…

Underground Food and Cooking Resources

You can read more at Food Culture in the Pacific Islands, and Tropical Fiji Family Kitchen Cookbook: Budget-Friendly Meals from the Tropics Your Whole Family Will Love.

Bula to some Underground Food and Cooking!

Thanks to the Arts Village and Tourism Fiji!