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 Pacific Harbour:
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.
Usually a feast consisting of pigs and chickens and vegetables is cooked throughout the day.
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!
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!
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May 6th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
We had Lovo tonight at Rydges Hideway Resort.
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May 14th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
What a coincidence, I’ve just written a post about trying food in different cultures, to me its one of the best things about traveling.
I wish I could try that. The only underground cooked food I have ever had is a jacket potato buried in the ashes of a campfire – nice and warm but not particularly exciting!
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June 8th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
We do a lot of cooking underground down here in Australia, but we call it an outback oven
Thanks for the informative post. I’m amzed at how similar the techniques are to the Australian Aborigines…..makes you think
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June 17th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
oh i just love cooking and eating. i love to cook pasta recipes and the like.:”-
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