Written by Lucy Cameron
Traditional Fijian food is built around three things: root vegetables, fresh seafood, and coconut. The cooking is mild compared to the Indo-Fijian curry tradition (which makes up the other half of the country’s food culture). Here are the 12 dishes worth seeking out.
12 Dishes to Try
- Lovo — earth-oven feast of meat, fish and root vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked over hot stones
- Kokoda — raw fish (mahi-mahi or walu) cured in lime juice, coconut milk, chillies, onions, capsicum. The country’s signature dish
- Palusami — taro leaves stuffed with coconut cream and corned beef or fish, baked in a banana leaf parcel
- Walu curry — Spanish mackerel in coconut-milk curry, lightly spiced with turmeric and ginger
- Duruka — Fijian asparagus, a seasonal river-grass shoot served with coconut cream
- Ika vakalolo — fish in coconut milk, a everyday family meal
- Cassava chips — fried cassava sticks, served as a side at most resort and local meals
- Roti and dhal — Indo-Fijian flatbread with lentil soup, FJD 6–10 at any Nadi roti shop
- Curry goat or lamb — slow-cooked Indo-Fijian standard
- Channa curry — chickpea curry, staple vegetarian option
- Pulao rice — fragrant rice with whole spices, often served with curry
- Tropical fruit selection — fresh papaya, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, the local five-corner star fruit
Where to Eat Traditional Food
For lovo and traditional cooking demonstrations, the weekly resort cultural night is the easiest entry point — Castaway, Outrigger and Shangri-La all run particularly good ones. For village-based traditional cooking, the Sigatoka River Safari includes a host-family lunch.
For Indo-Fijian food, Nadi main street roti shops are unbeatable value (FJD 6–14 lunches). Suva’s Maya Dhaba and the Cumming Street cluster are the best Suva options. Indigo Indian at Port Denarau is the resort-area sit-down pick.
For the full food and culture context see our Fiji food and culture guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is traditional Fijian food?
Traditional Fijian food is built around root vegetables (cassava, dalo, kumala), fresh seafood, and coconut. Signature dishes include lovo (earth-oven feast), kokoda (lime-cured fish), and palusami (taro leaves in coconut).
Is Fijian food spicy?
Indigenous Fijian food is mild — coconut, fish, root vegetables. Indo-Fijian food is genuinely spicy (curries, chillies, pickles). Both traditions share the country’s food landscape.
What is the national dish of Fiji?
Kokoda — raw fish cured in lime juice and coconut milk. Lovo (the earth-oven feast) is the other strongest contender. Both appear at most resort buffets.
What is kokoda?
Kokoda is Fiji’s ceviche — raw fish (mahi-mahi or walu) cured in lime juice, then mixed with coconut milk, chillies, onions and capsicum. Served cold as a starter or light lunch.
Where is the best traditional Fijian food?
The weekly resort cultural night for lovo and meke. Sigatoka River Safari host-family lunch for the most authentic village-based traditional meal. Suva Municipal Market for fresh produce and Indo-Fijian street food.
About the author: Lucy Cameron — Hideaway Fiji.