What Is Fiji's National Dish? Where to Eat Kokoda and Traditional Food in Savusavu

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Kokoda is often called Fiji's national dish, and it is the best-known traditional food for many visitors. The chilled combination of citrus-marinated fish, coconut milk and fresh vegetables is distinctly Fijian, but it is only one part of the country's food culture.

A good food day in Savusavu can also include lovo cooking, rourou, palusami, dalo, cassava, market produce and locally made chocolate. This guide explains what each food tastes like, where it fits into a meal and the most useful places to experience it.

Kokoda · Lovo · Rourou · Palusami · Savusavu Food Guide
Fijian kokoda made with fresh fish, citrus, coconut and chopped vegetables
Kokoda combines citrus-marinated raw fish with coconut milk or cream and fresh vegetables. Presentation varies by kitchen.
Quick fact What travelers should know
Fiji's signature dish Kokoda: citrus-marinated raw fish with coconut milk or cream and fresh vegetables
Simplest kokoda stop in town Surf 'n' Turf, Waterfront Building, Main Street; kokoda with ota salad
Most precise kokoda plan Nawi Island local lunch from 12:30 pm; FJ$10 per serving; 11:00 am shuttle from Waitui Marina
Market hours Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm; Saturday 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
Scheduled lovo Friday buffet with meke at Namale Resort for guests staying at Namale
Cocoa experience KokoMana tours at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, Monday to Friday; FJ$60 per adult

Kokoda: Fiji's Best-Known Traditional Seafood Dish

Kokoda is sometimes compared with ceviche, but its coconut base gives it a distinct Fijian character. Boneless fish is cut into cubes and marinated in fresh citrus. Once the surface turns opaque, the fish is combined with coconut milk or cream and ingredients such as onion, tomato, chilli and cucumber. Recipes differ between families and restaurants, and the fish species depends on the catch and the kitchen.

Expect a cool, creamy and sharply citrus-flavoured dish. If you dislike raw fish, choose cooked fish in lolo, fish curry or another seafood dish. Travelers who are pregnant, immunocompromised or otherwise advised to avoid raw seafood should choose a cooked alternative.

Where to Try Kokoda in Savusavu

For the clearest fixed plan, use Nawi Island's local lunch: take the 11:00 am shuttle from Waitui Marina, eat from 12:30 pm and return on the 1:30 pm or 1:45 pm shuttle. Surf 'n' Turf is the easier choice when you want to stay in central Savusavu.

Place Exact plan What to eat
Surf 'n' Turf Waterfront Building, Main Street, at the end of town.
+679 885 3033
Open in Google Maps		 Kokoda with ota salad. Choose this for the shortest walk from central Savusavu.
Coffee Isle and Island Sub, Nawi Island Board at Waitui Marina at 11:00 am. Local lunch starts at 12:30 pm. Return at 1:30 pm or 1:45 pm. Return shuttle and admission cost FJ$5 per adult and FJ$3 for children aged 3 to under 12.
Dining: +679 741 5162
Open Waitui Marina in Google Maps		 The rotating FJ$10 local lunch includes kokoda with cassava chips, plus dishes such as rourou with mutton and cassava.

Which one should you choose?

Choose Surf 'n' Turf for the shortest walk and a restaurant meal in town. Choose Nawi for the most complete plan: a set lunch price, published shuttle times and a waterfront outing in one trip.

Lovo: A Cooking Method and a Shared Feast

A lovo is an underground earth oven, not one single recipe. Heated stones are placed in a pit, and foods such as chicken, pork, fish, dalo, cassava and palusami are wrapped before being arranged over the heat. The pit is covered while the food cooks slowly. The result is tender food with a light smoky character.

Lovo is associated with celebrations and communal meals. Around Savusavu, it is normally part of a resort programme, wedding or cultural evening rather than an everyday restaurant order.

Friday lovo at Namale

Guests staying at Namale Resort can experience a buffet-style lovo every Friday at Walu Restaurant. The dinner is followed by a traditional meke performance and forms part of Namale's all-inclusive resort programme. Namale is at 1 Hibiscus Highway, outside central Savusavu. Direct resort number: +679 892 2155. Open in Google Maps.

Food wrapped in leaves being prepared over heated stones in a Fijian lovo earth oven
Food for a lovo is wrapped and cooked over heated stones before the earth oven is covered.

Palusami and Rourou Are Related, but They Are Not the Same Dish

Both use young dalo or taro leaves, which are called rourou in Fiji. The difference is in the preparation. Raw taro leaves can irritate the mouth and throat, so they must be cooked thoroughly.

Food What to expect How it is usually served
Rourou Dalo leaves cooked down, often with coconut milk, into a soft stew or side dish. As a soft coconut-rich side dish. Nawi's local lunch pairs rourou with mutton and cassava.
Palusami Dalo leaves folded around coconut cream, onion and sometimes corned beef or fish, then baked, steamed or cooked in a lovo. With a lovo feast. The filling may include corned beef or fish, so it is not automatically vegetarian.

Where to Find Other Traditional Foods in Savusavu

The municipal market is the best place to see the ingredients behind Fijian cooking. Use this table as a shopping and tasting guide rather than only a glossary of unfamiliar names.

Food What it is Best place to find it
Dalo and cassava or tavioka Starchy roots, usually boiled, roasted, fried or cooked in a lovo. Savusavu Municipal Market for self-catering. Namale's Friday lovo serves cooked root crops as part of the buffet.
Rourou and palusami Cooked dalo leaves, either as a soft stew or folded around a coconut-based filling. Nawi Island serves rourou with mutton and cassava at its FJ$10 local lunch. Palusami is a common part of a lovo meal.
Nama Small green sea grapes, often served as a crisp salad with coconut dressing. Savusavu Municipal Market in the morning, especially for travelers with a kitchen.
Duruka The tender flower head of a cane-like plant, sometimes called Fijian asparagus. Savusavu Municipal Market during its season. Look for pale green bundles among the vegetables.
Local cocoa and chocolate Chocolate made near Savusavu from locally sourced cocoa nibs and Fiji cane sugar. KokoMana's farm and factory tour, which ends with a tasting and the chance to buy bars directly.

Start at Savusavu Municipal Market

The Savusavu Municipal Market is the easiest place to see local root crops, fruit, vegetables and seafood in one stop. It is northeast of Nakama Creek and is open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday and 7:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. Go on Saturday morning for the liveliest atmosphere and the broadest choice of produce. Open in Google Maps.

Bring small Fijian-dollar notes, ask before photographing a vendor and buy only what you can use. If you are staying in self-catering accommodation, the market is more useful than buying unfamiliar produce without cooking facilities.

KokoMana: A Practical Chocolate and Cocoa Stop

KokoMana runs small farm and factory tours at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm Monday to Friday. The experience follows cocoa from the tree to the finished chocolate bar and ends with a tasting. Tours are limited to 12 visitors and cost FJ$60 per adult and FJ$30 for school-age and full-time students; small children are free. Book a KokoMana tour before choosing your travel time.

The farm is at Daku Estate, behind Daku Resort on Lesiaceva Road. Drive about 2 km from town toward Cousteau Resort, turn at the first Daku Resort signs, then follow the KokoMana signs for about 500 m along the gravel forest track. Do not use Google Maps for the final approach because it can lead you away from the signed entrance. The direct contact number is +679 298 9426.

The unflavoured chocolate uses locally sourced cocoa nibs and Fiji cane sugar without emulsifiers, stabilisers or preservatives. Flavoured bars may include sea salt or chilli. The tour is especially useful for travelers interested in local agriculture because it shows the whole process rather than only selling a finished souvenir.

Kava Etiquette for Visitors

Kava, also called yaqona, is made from the root of Piper methysticum mixed with water. It has ceremonial and social importance in Fiji and can cause relaxation or drowsiness. At a formal ceremony, remain seated and follow the host. The usual sequence is one clap before receiving the bilo, a greeting to the group, drinking the cup, returning it and then clapping three times.

Participation is optional, and a respectful refusal is acceptable. Do not treat kava as an ordinary soft drink. Avoid driving after drinking it, do not combine it with alcohol, and seek medical advice first if you are pregnant, have liver concerns or take medication that may cause drowsiness. Read the site's fuller guide to Fijian cultural etiquette before a village visit.

Practical Food Tips for Savusavu

  • Use the market early. Saturday morning offers the best atmosphere before the middle of the day becomes hot.
  • Choose the right kokoda stop. Surf 'n' Turf is easiest from town; Nawi is better when you want a marina lunch reached by shuttle.
  • Plan Friday around lovo only if you stay at Namale. Its Friday dinner combines the earth-oven feast with a meke performance.
  • Reserve KokoMana online. The two weekday tours begin at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm and take no more than 12 visitors.
  • Carry some cash. Card acceptance differs between market vendors, small eateries and resorts.
  • Explain allergies clearly. Coconut, seafood and hidden meat or fish stock are common concerns in the dishes covered here.

Three easy ways to organise your food day

  • Town day: visit the market in the morning, eat kokoda at Surf 'n' Turf and walk to the Savusavu hot springs.
  • Nawi day: take the Waitui Marina shuttle for the 12:30 pm local lunch, then spend the afternoon around Nawi Island Marina.
  • Cocoa day: take the 10:00 am KokoMana tour, return to town for lunch and save the afternoon for a pre-booked pearl farm tour.

For lower-impact transport and shopping choices, see the guide to travelling sustainably in Fiji.

What Works Well and What to Plan Around

What works well

  • The market, Surf 'n' Turf and Waitui Marina are all practical from central Savusavu.
  • Nawi combines a fixed FJ$10 local lunch with a low-cost return boat trip.
  • KokoMana gives the clearest bookable food experience, with two weekday start times and published prices.
  • Self-catering travelers can buy dalo, cassava, nama, duruka and seasonal produce directly at the municipal market.
  • A food-focused day can be combined easily with the hot springs, marina or a cocoa tour.

What to plan around

  • Kokoda contains raw fish; citrus changes its texture but does not cook it with heat.
  • The Nawi lunch requires the Waitui Marina shuttle and about three hours for the full outing.
  • Namale's Friday lovo is part of the resort programme for guests staying at Namale.
  • Savusavu Municipal Market is closed on Sunday.
  • KokoMana tours run on weekdays, not at weekends.
  • Palusami and rourou can contain meat, fish or stock even when the main ingredient is leafy greens.

Who This Food Experience Suits

  • Seafood travelers: kokoda is the most distinctive first choice.
  • Self-catering visitors: the municipal market makes local ingredients easy to buy.
  • Culture-focused travelers: lovo, meke and kava add context beyond a restaurant meal.
  • Families: Nawi's short boat ride and KokoMana's tree-to-bar tour turn food into an activity.
  • Vegetarians: dalo, cassava, nama and many market foods work well, but prepared dishes need closer attention to fillings and stock.

The guide is less suitable for travelers who must avoid all raw seafood or need strict allergen separation. Kokoda is raw, coconut appears throughout Fijian cooking, and apparently vegetable-based dishes can contain meat or fish.

FijiEco food plan

If you have one day, start at the municipal market, eat kokoda in town and use the afternoon for the hot springs. If you have two days, add the Nawi lunch or KokoMana tour rather than trying to fit both into the same midday window. Namale's lovo belongs in the plan only when your stay includes Friday night at the resort.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fiji's national dish?

Kokoda is the food most often called Fiji's national dish. It is best understood as one of the country's signature foods alongside lovo, rourou, palusami and staple root crops.

Is kokoda raw fish?

Yes. The fish is marinated in citrus, which changes its colour and texture, but it is not cooked with heat. Choose a reputable kitchen and order a cooked dish if you have been advised to avoid raw seafood.

Are palusami and rourou the same?

No. Rourou refers to dalo leaves and commonly to a cooked leaf stew. Palusami is a parcel made with those leaves and a coconut-based filling that may also contain corned beef or fish.

Where can visitors try a lovo in Savusavu?

Namale Resort serves a buffet-style lovo every Friday at Walu Restaurant for its guests and pairs the dinner with a traditional meke performance. Elsewhere, lovo is normally part of a resort or cultural event rather than a daily restaurant dish.

Where can I eat kokoda in Savusavu?

Surf 'n' Turf in the Waterfront Building serves kokoda with ota salad and is the easiest town option. Nawi Island Marina serves kokoda with cassava chips during its local lunch from 12:30 pm and is reached by shuttle from Waitui Marina.

Sources and Verification

Written and researched by Yevhen Derkach for FijiEco. Last fact-checked: 17 August 2026.

Restaurant menus, special-dinner schedules and tour prices can change. If you find information that needs correcting, please contact FijiEco.