Nadi travel guide

Kokoda (raw fish in coconut)

Fiji's national dish—fresh fish cured in citrus juice until opaque then dressed in coconut cream with tomatoes, onion, chili and cucumber; clean, tropical and utterly refreshing; served in coconut shells on the beach

Lovo feast

Ancient Fijian cooking—whole pigs, chicken, fish and root vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground in a pit lined with fire-heated stones for 3-4 hours; organized by villages for festivals and weddings

Cassava

Boiled or fried cassava root accompanies virtually every Fijian meal; starchier and more filling than potato; paired with fish and coconut cream sauces or eaten plain as the everyday energy staple of rural Fijian life

Fresh tropical fruit

Fiji's volcanic soil produces extraordinary papaya, guava, pineapple and watermelon; fruit stalls along the Nadi corridor sell bags of cut fruit for less than a dollar; the pineapple here is far sweeter than any export variety

Fiji Gold beer

The locals golden lager brewed on-island since 1983; crisp and uncomplicated, drunk ice cold from a bottle on a humid afternoon; cold Fiji Gold alongside kokoda at a beachside bar is the definitive Fiji experience'