All About Lovo

The Art of Lovo Cooking 

Lovo is the perfect way to cook up a storm for special occasions that celebrate life, love and community.  It epitomizes the Fijian love of sharing – where families and friends pitch in with  ingredients and the preparation of this grand feast.  
 

Prepping the Feast 

A lovo kicks off with digging a pit in the ground to create a natural oven. Large river rocks are placed over the wood-lined pit and heated in a fire. While the stones heat up, it's time to prepare the feast. Traditionally, men take on most of the labour intensive tasks like tending the pit, peeling root crops, scraping coconuts and braiding proteins while women are in charge of flavour and side dishes. Even little ones may be given light tasks like collecting or moving coconuts. Meat and rootcrops are the star of the show but there’s still plenty for vegetarians and vegans to enjoy too. Think juicy taro, sweet cassava, yams, and a rainbow of vegetables like sweet potatoes, smoke-blistered eggplants, and leafy green side dishes drenched in seasoned coconut milk. 
 

The Cooking Process 

Once the stones are smoking white hot, they're covered with a layer of green banana or palm leaves before food is added in layers to evenly cook. Layering starts off with root crops (dalo, cassava, sweet potatoes), followed by leaf wrapped proteins (chicken, beef, pork, fish) and finally topped with vegetables (palusami, pumpkins , breadfruit).  More leaves are placed over the food pile before it is buried with soil/sand to seal in the heat and cook the food slowly over 1-2 hours. Once cooked, the lovo is unearthed, and food placed on large banana leaves to serve buffet style. The smoky, slow-cooking process melds flavors together, making the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender and the vegetables bursting with goodness.  
 

Where to Try Lovo 

Many resorts in Fiji host a weekly ‘Fijian night’ filled with cultural entertainment, kava drinking, and lovo feasting. But if you want to experience a hands-on lovo cooking class, head to the family-run Vavavi Experience in Wailoaloa, Nadi. Cooking side by side with locals, this 5-hour cooking class (plus market visit) will teach you how to prepare a lovo from scratch and while listening to stories about growing up in Fiji. It's an immersive experience that will help you appreciate the communal effort that goes into such a feast. The delicious food at the end of the class is just the cherry on top. 

Whether you indulge in a lovo feast at a resort or roll up your sleeves for a cooking class, make sure its on your Fiji bucketlist.