Humans have long chosen to live close to volcanos for one simple reason: the soil. The prehistoric, mineral-rich ash and molten lava eventually settles down into rich fertile land that is perfect for farming. It’s not hard to imagine why the ancient Polynesian settlers decided to call Taveuni their home. They knew the fertile land would provide richness unlike any wealth known to their civilisation: food. Welcome to a Taste of Taveuni.
Taveuni Island’s reputation as the garden island is well deserved, but in truth it should really be known as Fiji’s island of food and long life. The rich volcanic soil cannot be understated. It will literally grow anything, and grow it big.
From the giant pineapples and papaya, to the dalo and yaqona; the people of Taveuni could very well be Fiji’s healthiest residents — if they ate solely from the land and sea, and less from the factory.
I am often asked why I keep pushing and promoting organic farming and produce in Fiji, and my answer is threeletters — NCD, non-communicable diseases. Organic foods, like those grown on Taveuni, contain all the goodness of natural vitamins, minerals, rainwater and sunshine, and none of the nasty chemicals from pesticides.
In tonight’s episode, we discover that there are no big outdoor markets, commercial fast food restaurants, deepfried chicken shops or roadside barbecues on Taveuni.
In the main township of Naqara, there is in fact only one supermarket, a Chinese shop, a few takeaway cafes and a small strip of fruit and vegetable stands. The temptation to eat unhealthy is lessened because of the lack of choice; but this is a good thing on Taveuni. Tonight’s organic recipes using the local produce start with a self saucing, Taveuni spinach omelette with cinnamon and tomato compote, cooked at the cascading Tavoro waterfalls; followed by a sweet and sour sweet chilli mango chicken at the new Taveuni prison. Nearby I was inspired by the Tagimoucia story to create a spicy crying fish dish by the rockslides, and a group of local women share some recipes from their new Taveuni cookbook.
Chef goes to jail
I was surprised to be invited to film at the new correctional centre for the TV show. What possibly would be interesting to a chef? What I didn’t know was that the inmates were creating all their meals from the organic garden, supplemented with tinned meats and fish on certain days of the week. The prison agricultural program not only teaches the inmates skills for life and helps cuts down the food cost for the Department of Corrections, but forces those incarcerated to learn to cook and eat a healthy diet. Their garden was packed with tomatoes, carrots, chilli, pawpaw, pineapples and mango. The impromptu visit had me wondering what to cook on the show as we weren’t allowed inside or to film the centre for security reasons. As I sat thinking about a recipe, an inmate walked up to the TV crew, under guard, and offered a tray of their freshly prepared dinner of rourou and cassava. The senior corrections officer explained that all meals had to be security checked and tasted after being prepared by the inmates. I was today’s official taster, or should I say, guinea pig! I reluctantly took a whiff and a tiny taste of the rourou. “All clear!” I happily told the officer. It actually tasted really good. Thank goodness. After hearing that chicken was a rarity in jail and as a mango dropped from the tree above, a recipe came to mind.
In search of the Tagimoucia flower
A visit to Taveuni at this time of the year must include a trek up to lake Tagimoucia in search of the rare red and white flower. Our host, Matt, graciously offered to drive us up the steep and rocky road in his four wheel drive to see the famous national flower. Walking up this steep incline can take up to six hours if you are fit, which definitely excluded all of the Fiji TV crew.
But as bad luck would have it, our vehicle overheated two thirds of the way up in very hot conditions. The lake is at an elevation of nearly one kilometre above sea level, where you can virtually touch the clouds and where the air becomes much cooler. As everyone except Matt and I attempted to continue on foot, we finally gave up the adventure, still a long way from the top.
Luckily some locals were heading back down, and seeing our predicament and no doubt feeling sorry for us, kindly offered an unopened Tagimoucia.
A garden sanctuary of food and spice
Our journey ended with a visit to the Gaiatree sanctuary overlooking the Somosomo straits. This eight acre organic forest of foods, spices and homemade jams, fruit vinegars and sundried fruit is awe inspiring and a chef’s dream. Canadian owners Matt and Natasha Spins have created a true Garden of Eden that does not use any chemical pesticides in their kitchen garden and provides them with nearly all of the food needs as vegetarians.
Natasha explains that it has taken her a long time to experiment with natural remedies to control the many bugs on Taveuni, but has found crushed eggshells to be the most effective pest control in her garden. The secret of the eggshells as an organic pesticide is because the crushed egg dust gets under the shells of beetles and acts like bits of glass to cut them up and kill them. Snails and slugs will also die if they slink across it, and it works as a deterrent. All you need to do is dry the shells and then crush them in a grinder into a fine dust, which is then sprinkled over the leaves or around the base of the plant to prevent the bugs getting near the leaves.
The sanctuary also has a new type of cyclone proof home called EcoShells. These white domes may look like they belong in the snow, but their construction is certified by the American Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be full proof against most natural disasters including earthquakes and cyclones. The dome dwellings have also caught the interest of local Taveuni villagers who see the domes as a good investment through the cyclone seasons. While the shape may not be to everyone’s liking, the safety and comfort against natural disasters may outweigh how the newage domes look.
Taveuni cookbook
The highlight of the entire trip on Taveuni, apart from cooking in its natural wonders, was meeting Aunty Volau and her ladies of the Taveuni Empowerment of Women Support Group. With the support of the Gaiatree sanctuary, local organic farmers and the Australian government, they have created the first local cookbook since the 1958 Girl Guides Cookbook. Aunty Volau was inspired by this original cookbook, which went across the South Pacific to share recipes with other women new to the region. The 2014 Taste of Taveuni sets out to do the same but with the added message of health and well being. I have happily given my support and wrote the book’s foreword with the proceeds going toward buying more seeds and plants to share among the women’s group. Copies are available through their Facebook page of the same name or by calling Gaiatree sanctuary.
- Lance Seeto is the host of FBC-TV’s Exotic Delights and owner of KANU Restaurant in Nadi.
