When I left Australia to work at one of Fiji’s iconic island resorts, I thought I would be here for no more than 12 months. Train the locals, install new menus, sample the local cuisine, and move on to the next task, probably a more food-oriented Asia, as Fiji has never been known as a culinary hotspot. I really didn’t intend to get sucked into an ancient culture or be so fascinated by its fresh foods and wild diet. We have plenty of world-class produce in Australia, but I quickly learned that Fiji’s culinary delights are unlike anything we’ve seen in Western kitchens for many decades. Local produce is mostly organic, non-GMO, and fresh food tastes like it used to in the past to people living outside of Fiji. Fijians are surrounded by this abundance of unadulterated food fresh from the sea, land and rivers. Its mineral-enriched soil from its volcanic landscape provides fertile soil that is the envy of the world, and with minimal commercial fishing, its oceans still provide plenty of wild fish for the local market.

The other incredible contrast to the West is that there are virtually no food allergies here in Fiji. Unlike the growing health epidemic around the world, most Fijians can eat anything and everything. Native Fijians are descended from a different hominin lineage than Caucasians, so their unique genome excludes key genes that trigger celiac disease and other food-related allergies, caused in part by genetic and synthetic changes in the food chain. So it didn’t surprise me that when I arrived in Fiji, most of the local cooks didn’t understand why tourists ask for gluten-free meals. And be careful with MSG or monosodium glutamate in your Fijian food. Banned in most countries due to its link to asthma and breathing difficulties, MSG is affectionately called “Chinese salt” here and local cooks use it by the handful to enhance the flavor. I am very sensitive to MSG, but Fiji’s heavy hand on MSG is quite common as their traditional cooking lacks the use of herbs or teas to create depth of flavor.

I have been very fortunate to gain a cultural experience beyond what many foreign tourists or workers in this country can afford. The paramount chief of the Mamanuca island group, home to many of Fiji’s top island resorts, has seconded me as his cultural ambassador to educate tourists about his ancient traditions and history and to share modern experiences with his people. Not since pre-colonial Fiji has a foreigner gotten this close to a Fijian chief, and for that I am eternally honored and grateful as it has allowed me to understand and capture the essence of his food and culture in my interpretations. modern. from his kitchen. Seeing how the women of the villages prepare their traditional meals, with recipes passed down from generation to generation, is like experiencing an ancient culture before my very eyes. But the recipes are basic and limited. Without the same level of food history, culinary influence, or media exposure to food as other cultures, Fijian cuisine has remained essentially unchanged for many decades.

Through my weekly food column in the country’s best-selling newspaper, I have had the unique opportunity to teach a nation new ways to cook their local produce at home. I recently returned from a Fijian Food Safari around the outer islands, visiting villages amidst dense rainforests and on distant islands, and was amazed that they even knew or cared who I was. “You’re that chef in the paper! We clip your stories and recipes every Sunday!” So how rewarding and personally rewarding it is for me to share my knowledge with a people who have taught me about humanity, respect and how to be happy.

While traditional Fijian cuisine in the villages is simple, it is refreshingly organic and fresh. The humble coconut, or Tree of Life as it is known throughout the South Pacific, is dominant in Fijian dishes. Coconut oil is extracted from shredded coconut and infused with water to produce a creamy milk that cannot be compared to canned coconut milk. Lolo, or coconut milk, is used as a poaching liquid, salad dressings, and in many Fijian desserts. It is the base of the miti, a side dish of fish, chicken and vegetables, with onions, tomatoes, chili, lemon and salt to create a silky coconut sauce. On my Savusavu Food Safari tour in northern Fiji, I adapted the miti for a new Kokoda salad I was serving for a VIP presentation dinner. Kokoda is the classic Fijian salad of citrus-cured walu mackerel mixed with mititi and similar to a ceviche. I wanted to use the sweet slipper lobster and clam shells I bought at the local market, so I added fresh-squeezed wild ginger and local oranges to the miti to give the dish subtle warmth and citrus undertones. The local cook had never seen this done, and when her eyes lit up after trying it, she knew that she had kept the essence of the dish without destroying tradition. But another classic Fijian fish dish recipe that I haven’t changed is Ika Vakalolo, fried fish poached in mititi. The flavors and balance of this traditional dish are just right for me, and it is a dish loved by young and old in every home and roadside cafe in Fiji.

Many foreign chefs make the mistake of trying to reinvent Fijian food, but there’s nothing wrong with the culinary wheel here. The basic flavors and techniques are there, you just have to add a little sparkle and flair without losing the essence of the dish. The challenge for Fijian resorts is balancing the expectation of a fine steak or seafood dish with the adventurous palate of the foodie traveler who is also looking for a culinary experience of the culture. Fiji is on the verge of embracing food tourism, but tourists don’t necessarily want the same food they can get at home. Singapore has its signature chilli crab, Hong Kong has its dim sum and Europe is steeped in the classics, but with more advanced training of local cooks, Fiji may one day stand out in the region as a culinary hotspot for organic tropical cuisine. kitchen room.