More popular than some other posts that were put under the same category of Celebrating a Decade--this one was posted first on Jan 31, 2013. I have a special love for this one, because it talks a bit about some of the countries that I have lived in and their uniqueness!! I think that is the reason many look this up to read about it!!
Every country has some words that a first time tourist, traveller, and visitor learns in the first few days of being there. These words then are always associated with those countries, no matter how many countries use it. Lovo and Boo are two words I will always associate with Fiji. Boo, being the baby-coconut, commonly known as green coconut. The coconut milk is still in its liquid and semi-solid form. So, when you crack open a Boo, and drain the milk, there is still heavy cream of coconut. Often you are given a piece of coconut shell itself to use as a spoon. So, the above picture was taken right before we dug into our treat.....
In India sometimes street vendors create a spoon out of a leaf right in front of your eyes, to enjoy your fruit salad.
The following pictures show how even cracking a coconut open can require a skill that is not everyone's cup of tea (or noni juice!!)
The pictures here were taken at Navua tourist village, about an hour outside of Suva. This little island village that is totally functional with a day care and a small school, is created specially as a tourist attraction. We spent an entire day there when my friends visited me in Fiji. Following are two pictures of sort of Bures. Bures are traditional fijian houses with thatched roofs. Urbanization and modernization has resulted in significant reduction of Bures. In addition Bures are not sustainable, especially with today's climate change. My friend who grew up in Fiji told me that up until late nineties, when they drove around Suva, Fijian capital, one could see Bures as far as the eye went. Today they have been replaced by asbestos or tin sheets, so the neighborhoods look more like shanty towns. Ofcourse, we are not talking about cities and planned towns. Those places look like any other place in the world, except more sun, and palm trees!!
Lovo is the term given to food cooked in 'earth' like Tandoor in India, or Hangi in New Zealand (Maori?). While it is baked, there are certain things that make it quite unique. First, food in lovo, whether fish or vegetables, is often cooked in banana leaves, which gives it a unique flavor. Second, because it is slow cooking, the food is extremely flavorful with a delicate smoked flavor.
The above three pictures show a young Fijian man, dressed in traditional Fijian grass outfit (worn only for tourists--if you arrive a bit early you can see young kids running into their Bure (huts) to put skirts on top of their shorts), digging a pit to create space for Lovo. The following pictures show the procedure of preparing a lovo.
The following pictures show how great the food looks when it is done....can you smell it already?
And continuing with country specific vocabulary---Rondavel, and fat-cakes are something I associate with Bostwana. Rondavel being the round, thatched roof rooms/houses built all over (southern) africa (equivalent of Bures). Often, the bottom part is cemented and made of bricks. The thatched roof is replaced every few years. Below is the picture from South Africa.
Picture taken at a hotel at Monk's Cowl, near Inkosana Lodge, Drakensberg, South Africa. Its definitely touristy, but give an idea.
The above picture was taken at Inkosana Lodge, and these Rondavels were individual, stand alone rooms. Guests shared a common cooking area. I will put up pictures of the bunkers where I stayed. They were just as good, only with possibility of more occupancy.
Fat cakes are sweetened dough cooked, on open fire, in these african pots you see below. I learnt about them in Botswana.
Fika, is the first Swedish word I learnt. Well, almost the first word. Related to coffee with something sweet to eat and good company, the term deserves an entire entry!!
All these words have a special place in my heart, and there are so many memories associated it. Each one of them has its own flavor of nostalgia!!
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