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# Viti Levu & Vanua Levu the easiest places in Fiji for a vegetarian? Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Fiji
jvainio 05:08 UTC 13 Nov 2008 | As i've gone through two guidebooks (Moon Handbooks' SPacific and LP's SPacific), i've figured out that the easiest place for a vegetarian to travel in Fiji is on these big islands. There isn't anything vegetarian on any other islands according to the guidebooks. We should stick to the biggest cities because only there vegetarian food (and vegetarian groceries) are available. But as our base camps should be these big cities, can we get to those uncrowded paradise beaches and untouched Fiji? Probably not? Too bad, since i'd be very interested in the other islands (and especially the Lau group) -J |
bulabear 10:51 UTC 13 Nov 2008 | personally I think vegetarians are very well cared for in fiji. First of all you will find in every little town indian restaurants - or take -aways, with quite a selection of vegetarian meals,. in smaller resorts you just request that you are a vegetarian and you will get veqetarian meals. typical fijian meals consist of lots of root crops or rice and lots of greens - tell fijians that you cannot eat meat or fish and you will get the best spinach dishes you can think of, but you need to say you cannot eat fish nor meat. Usually a big variety of greens is available and eadable, it's just not that much used any longer because it's easier to buy food from the shelf - mainly tin fish or corned beef. a great place to eat vegetarian food is bobos farm at Ovalau, fresh veggies right from the bush or garden. one gap lady who was a vegan survived for 6 months on Ovalau - and even gained weight. fijians might shake their head if you tell them that you cannot eat meat nor fish, but they also will be proud to offer you all sorts of leafy - and yummy stuff. | 1
jvainio 11:42 UTC 13 Nov 2008 | So what you are saying is that she CAN survive without major problems, even outside the main islands - and major towns? (or is it just the Ovalau island?) Never saw that coming. I figured the locals would just put up fish on the plate anyways - at the bare minimum, cook the vegs in fish sauce! ..it's really the outer islands that intrest me, personally - but everyday life of everyone is dictated much on the food you can get - no suitable food - no life.. -J | 2
oldpro 12:12 UTC 13 Nov 2008 | The main cities might be the best place to find a vegetarian restaurant. However, there is a difference between a 'vegetarian' restaurant marketing itself as such and the availability of vegetarian food. As Bulabear says, much of the local Fijian diet is vegetarian-based anyway, emphasizing starchy roots (taro in particular). Fish does not come automatically. You have to order it. I also do not believe that fish sauce is a standard part of Fijian cooking. Outside of the main cities there won't be a lot of choice anyway, vegetarian or otherwise. On smaller islands and associated resorts, or other out of the way places, there will be nowhere to eat except at the place you are staying. Major problems? I wouldn't think so, but I'm not strict vegan so never paid attention to the fine details. If you have to deal with a vegan diet, then it will be up to you to let the locals know what you want to eat, or otherwise limit your travel options to what your diet dictates. You could always carry around a few packets of instant noodles and crackers just in case you end up somwhere which can't meet your dietary requirements. | 3
mandja 22:17 UTC 13 Nov 2008 | I agree with the others that Vegetarians wont have problems due to the Indian influence, it is also worth asking "to what an extent she is vegetarian"? Vegan? etc My daughter is "semi-vegetarian" - she wont eat fish or beef but does , sometimes, eat chicken (i know- go figure). She loved the veg Indian food, rice,and fruit. She also eats dairy, eggs etc Oarsmans (northern Yasawas) they were happy to adapt and modify meals for her and where not practical, would make special meals - omlettes, noodles, soup, veg pizza etc | 4
jvainio 01:51 UTC 16 Nov 2008 | She has almost never eaten meat (outside 2 occasions, which were the kind of "OK Here is the only pork we have and we slaughtered it for you, so you better eat at least a piece or two") - even as a newborn baby, when her mom tried to sneak meat to her by grinding it to tiny, tiny shred and hiding it in mashed potatoes, she spit it out, and i figure at that time person cannot decide whether she is veg or a meat-eater, but somehow she just did it. Anyhow, as what she eats; she is a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, which means she eats eggs and dairy and vegs - she's not a vegan.. I know the term, and i am sorry that i didn't make that clear earlier. So... We can travel in ALL of Fiji without (major) problems with her diet? Even in the Lau group? Last word.. Only thing i fear is that if this culture is relying on fish and meat to survive - and they have a different native tongue than english, it could be like what happened in Mongolia - many times in the countryside they were "yes yes, vegetarian!" yet the vegs were cooked in meat stock/broth, or the whole food had meat stock/broth all over it, yet they thought it was "vegetarian". This resulted in many nights when she had to cook her own foods (fairly simple ones, and it got boring), and of course we knew this was coming and had prepared, but still, because they had little to no knowledge of english or vegetarianism, there was many disappointments to be experienced as these "vegetarian" foods were served. -J | 5
hardnosethehighway 05:15 UTC 16 Nov 2008 | "Fish does not come automatically. You have to order it." Abject nonsense-note the poster is not himself vegetarian so has NFI if the Veggie Soup/Samosas have fish or not. " I also do not believe that fish sauce is a standard part of Fijian cooking.' True enough SE Asian fish sauce-Nam pla/nuoc mam are relatively unknown in Fiji. "We can travel in ALL of Fiji without (major) problems with her diet?" It depends-picky people never fare well off the beaten track but as mentioned Fijians are fair minded accommodating people-even if they think you're an oddball. FWIW-Fijians from smaller places think beef eaters are oddballs too. I've sat with Fijian who literally rolled on the ground laughing at resort guests who ate beef-since Fijians have the best fish on the planet literally on their doorsteps the idea of someone eating a months old frozen cow is beyond funny. | 6
oldpro 11:18 UTC 16 Nov 2008 | Take a deep breath #6, and then try asking a poster what they meant if something is ambiguous, rather than making judgements about a statement being 'abject nonsense'. Such a statement is at least as misleading as the statement you claim to criticize. I had something specific in mind. Fish does not come automatically on the plate - or whatever it is that the OP is implying by "the locals would just put up fish on the plate anyways". You have to order fish in the sense of ordering a course, fried fish and taro root, for example, or some other fish main course with accompaniments. Or are you implying thsat fish always ALWAYS is in everthing you could possibly order? Of course there are always hidden ingredients in some items a person orders -- the constituents of sauces, stuffings for samosas, etc etc. An experienced vegetarian (hopefully) would be asking about things like this, things not immediuately visible. In fact, anyone with specific dietary needs (eg allergies) typically ask about the presence of ingredients. | 7
waluwalu 21:42 UTC 17 Nov 2008 | If a stodgy diet is what she wants it's what she'll get, food in the South Pacific is stodgy all 'round. Fish Heads Fish Heads eat them up Yum! | 8
jvainio 02:21 UTC 18 Nov 2008 | Okay, thanks everyone for replying to this thread, my question has been answered 100%; A vegetarian can get by in Fiji without having to fear about "secret fish broth/stocks hidden in the food". -J | 9
jvainio 02:22 UTC 18 Nov 2008 | Okay, thanks everyone for replying to this thread, my question has been answered 100%; A vegetarian can get by in Fiji without having to fear about "secret fish broth/stocks hidden in the food". -J | 10
jvainio 02:43 UTC 18 Nov 2008 | Apparently i made a double post; Actually a triple post - The system said that an error has occured and i should go back with the back button and try again. Well i did but it gave me the error 2 times, and now there's many posts when the system finally lets me through. Weirdshit. Anyhow, thanks once again! -J | 11