Fiji Underground Gourmet
Hidden beyond the palms and postcard beaches lies an experience only a few lucky travellers get to taste — an Underground Gourmet moment in the heart of a Fijian village.
When guests book our authentic village tour shore excursion, they’re not just signing up for sightseeing — they’re stepping into a centuries-old culinary tradition.
After a warm village welcome, complete with singing and a sevusevu (traditional kava ceremony), you’ll be invited behind the scenes — to the lovo pit. It's here that the real magic happens.
The lovo is Fiji’s underground earth oven. Picture this: marinated meats, fresh fish, taro, and breadfruit wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked beneath hot volcanic stones — all covered with damp cloth and earth for hours. No gadgets. No shortcuts. Just ancestral knowledge and fire.
While the food cooks, village activities vary depending on the location — from traditional crafts to cultural demonstrations, or simply relaxing and soaking in the peaceful surroundings.
Then, it’s time to eat.
Your meal is served Fijian-style — on mats, under the trees, surrounded by laughter. Every bite tells a story: of land, heritage, and hospitality.
This isn’t just lunch.
It’s a feast made with earth, fire, and heart.
It’s the Underground Gourmet — and it’s waiting for you in Fiji.
Preparing a Fijian lovo isn’t just cooking — it’s an art.
To prepare Fiji’s legendary Underground Gourmet lovo, villagers first ignite a wood fire over smooth volcanic stones until the rocks glow red-hot. The stones are then arranged in a shallow earth pit; marinated chicken, fresh reef fish, taro, cassava, and palusami (taro leaves with coconut cream) are wrapped snugly in banana or breadfruit leaves and laid atop the sizzling bed. Layers of coconut fronds, damp cloth, and finally a mound of earth seal in the heat, turning the pit into a natural pressure cooker. For the next three to four hours the ingredients steam and smoke together, absorbing a delicate, earthy aroma that no modern oven can replicate—yielding a feast that’s tender, smoky, and unmistakably Fijian.
From a Tour Guide's Perspective
By: Francis Fuata
This tour is all about the lovo, our traditional underground cooking method. It’s a slow process, but that’s the beauty of it. You’ll see how we prepare the pit, heat the volcanic stones, and wrap the food — chicken, fish, root crops, and leafy greens — in banana leaves before it’s buried and left to cook under the earth.
While the lovo cooks, each village offers something a little different. You might witness a kava ceremony, hear traditional music, or learn about local customs. But no matter the activities, what’s constant is the warmth, the hospitality, and the pride our communities take in sharing this experience with you.
And then comes the best part — the feast. When we open the lovo, the aroma is incredible, and the flavours are even better. It’s rustic, smoky, and cooked with generations of knowledge and love.