It’s that time of the year again when ivi, dwells local markets and the street-side stalls. Ivi, or Tahitian Chestnut, is a delicacy that is usually packed in a clear plastic bag and sold for $2 and $3 for the grated ivi parcels. What many do not know is the long hours these little nuts have to be cooked to perfection.
For Mele Cama, selling ivi in Nakasi at the Tebara Plaza has been an extra boost for her business, especially since these chestnuts are in season. She is married to a man from Kaba Village, Tailevu and travels from there to Nakasi on weekends to sell her crops. At her market stall, Mrs Cama also sells rourou, tavioka, dalo and whichever fruits are in season — and these ivi that she collects from the forest in Kaba.
Speaking in the iTaukei language, the mother of two said her biggest challenge was travelling. Mrs Cama has to travel by fiberglass boat from Kaba to Nakelo before catching a bus or taxi to get to Nakasi. She spends $7 one way for her boat trips and $17 on taxi fare if she finds difficulty in transporting her cargo by bus which costs her $2.
“Na dredre ga e sotavi ni keimami sala waqa mai. Rawa ni 15 na miniti na vodo mai na waqa, kele i Nakelo, oji au sa qai vaqara basi mai se motoka.” (The only hardship we face is the fact that we travel by boat. It takes 15 minutes to travel by boat to Nakelo, and then I have to travel by bus or taxi to get here.)
Unfavorable weather restricts her travelling to the market because of safety issues. She enjoys being a market vendor because she says she earns money every day, and what made it even sweeter was that the money earned was from the crops she planted with her husband.
Mrs Cama’s Koko grated ivi recipe
Ingredients & materials:
* 20 raw ivi (unshelled)
* 15 coconuts (grated)
* 1 cup Sugar (according to your preference)
* Plastic bag
* Via leaves (drau ni via).
* Pot of water
Method:
* Boil a pot of water before preparation to give it time to boil.
* Squeeze the coconut without mixing it with water. The coconut juice should be the only liquid present in the grated coconuts.
* Grate the ivi into the squeezed coconut juice.
* Add sugar to the mixture for taste.
* Mix until you get a thick consistency.
* Pour the mixture into a plastic bag.
* Place the plastic of ivi mixture into the via leaves and tie to make a round/oval shape parcel.
nPut the parcels into the pot of boiling water and cook for an hour.
nPrick the parcels to check if the ivi is well cooked.
