TIRED of the boring selection of foods available at your local grocery store or restaurant?
Then drop by Tupou Talacanavatu’s stall in the Suva Municipal Market.
The 66-year-old will tease your taste buds with the variety of mouth-watering seafood delicacies he sells at cheap prices.
Originally from Nuku’alofa in Tonga, the mother of six has been a market vendor for 30 years.
Ms Talacanavatu’s husband is from Namuka in Bau and she resides in Bayview Heights with her grandchildren.
Her produce in a day includes seafood packed in containers to satisfy your cravings.-
Apart from seafood she also sells cooked tavioka and dalo for $2 a bag.
“I usually buy my seafood from deep sea divers in the Yasawa Group, Rakiraki and even as far as Vanua Levu,” Ms Talacanavatu said.
“The nama (seaweed) I usually buy for $50-$100 a bag as for the octopus it depends on the sizes. Most of the time I buy it for $15-$30 per octopus. Like other seafood prices depend on the size.”
In a day she said she could serve about 50-60 people and earned about $200-$300.
“Usually on Fridays and Saturdays I earn about $1000 because I could serve up to 100 customers.”
“I have a lot of competitors and that’s one of the challenges I face as a market vendor. People always compete and there’s competition everywhere.”
Ms Talacanavatu sells at the Suva Municipal Market six days a week.
“I love selling because I meet different kinds of people every day and make new friends as well.”
