WFijian cuisine has traditionally been very healthy and a mix of forage and farm based ingredients. Native Fijians prefer a tuber and coconut based diet, however due to colonization, staples such as rice, flour and tea have also become basic goods. Higher calorie ingredients such as cassava, taro and yams has been the staple ingredients grown by natives for thousands of years. Fiji is a multicultural country and is home to people from various races. In most Fijians' homes, food of other cultures is prepared on a regular basis such as Indian curries and Chinese dishes. Fiji is also famous for its seafood and varieties of leafy vegetables such as Bele, a spinach like weed and Otta, a forest fern.
WA curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. The spices commonly include turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and chili pepper, among others. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
WAn earth oven, ground oven or cooking pit is one of the simplest and most ancient cooking structures. At its most basic, an earth oven is a pit in the ground used to trap heat and bake, smoke, or steam food. Earth ovens have been used in many places and cultures in the past, and the presence of such cooking pits is a key sign of human settlement often sought by archaeologists. Earth ovens remain a common tool for cooking large quantities of food where no equipment is available. They have been used in various civilizations around the world and are still commonly found in the Pacific region to date.
WLūʻau, known alternatively as Poulet fafa in French Polynesia, Rourou in Fiji and Rukau in the Cook Islands is a traditional Polynesian stew. The name of this dish in Hawaii and other parts of the pacific is derived from its main ingredient, Taro leaves, which are cooked down and coconut milk added. Variations of this dish differ between islands. In Hawaii, octopus is added to this dish alongside onion and garlic, the dish being referred to as Squid Lū'au.
WOta ika is a Polynesian dish consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut milk. The Tongan, Tahitian, and Samoan variants are essentially identical in that the raw fish is briefly marinated in lemon or lime juice until the surface of the flesh becomes opaque. The fish is then mixed with coconut milk and diced vegetables. This is the national dish of Tonga.
WRoti is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent made from stoneground whole wheat flour, traditionally known as gehu ka atta, and water that is combined into a dough. Roti is consumed in many countries worldwide. Its defining characteristic is that it is unleavened. Naan from the Indian subcontinent, by contrast, is a yeast-leavened bread, as is kulcha. Like breads around the world, roti is a staple accompaniment to other foods.
WTandoor bread refers to a bread baked in a clay oven called a tandoor.
WThali or Bhojanam is a round platter used to serve food in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various dishes which are served on a platter.