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Identifying Fiji’s Six Favorite Fruits on Your Fiji Holiday

There’s a plethora of food and traditional dishes that you have to try while on Fiji. Everything from toro and coconut, to freshly caught fish are widely available in restaurants and beach bars on the islands. However, some of Fiji most beloved foods are the simplest. For example, locals and visitors alike are crazy for the fresh fruit you can find on the Fijian islands.

The full-time chefs at Raiwasa are similarly obsessed with the incredible array of fruits that grow here, and they regularly incorporate fruit into meals. And these fruits aren’t simply reserved for snacking or desserts – they are used in a variety of ways and in unique recipes. You’ll encounter Fiji’s incredible fruits throughout your stay, so knowing these six favorites will help you know what to request and try while on a Fiji holiday.

#1: Guava

The brightly colored guava is hardly unique to Fiji – in fact, it’s found in most tropical locations – but many of our guests say their first time trying the slightly sweet and subtle fruit is here on Taveuni. The flavor is a cross between strawberries, apple, and pear, although guava doesn’t look like any of these other fruits. It has a dense green peel, similar in look to a lime, but guava is much larger. On the inside, guava fluctuates in color between a deep pink and light peach color.

The guava is rich in several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and folic acid. However, one warning when enjoying guava is that the numerous seeds are very hard and capable of damaging your teeth if bitten into directly.

#2: Varieties of Bananas

It’s a good bet that you’ve had bananas before in your life. Very few people haven’t tried this sweet and potassium-rich fruit. And unlike many of the other fruits on this list, you’ve certainly heard of bananas. Yet, you probably haven’t had a banana as good as those found on Taveuni.

You can find several different varieties of bananas in Fiji, and while banana is consumed regularly in the United States and Europe, it’s a daily staple on the islands. People have eaten and cooked with bananas for hundreds of years, and this fruit is an ingrained aspect of life in Fiji. You’d be hard-pressed to escape bananas, or plantains as certain varieties are more commonly called here, during the course of your Fiji holiday.

#3: Kumquats

If you are racking your brain for an idea of what a kumquat looks like, you aren’t alone! This is a fruit that many people recognize in name, because its such a fun word to say, but can’t identify or describe. You’ll know what the kumquat looks like after a stay at Raiwasa Private Resort because the small, orange fruit grows in our gardens!

#4: Papaya

Papaya enjoys popularity throughout the tropics, but is particularly prevalent in Central America and Mexico. Luckily, the climate in Fiji and other Oceanic islands is similarly ideal for growing papaya. Over time this immigrant fruit has become a favorite across Fiji.

Also called pawpaw, when it’s ripe the papaya is a larger fruit with a dense, orange inside. However, similar to mangos, the papaya can be eaten while still green or when fully ripe. In Fiji, its enjoyed both ways, with ripe papaya often served as a dessert or with coconut ice cream.

#5: Passion Fruit

Over the past few years the passion fruit has gained popularity and recognition outside Fiji, but in general, it continues to be one of the tropics most perplexing fruits. Time and again the staff at Raiwasa receives the question, “so, how do you eat this?” Here are the general guidelines to eating the nutritious and delicious passion fruit. The hard, outer rind isn’t edible. Just as you would avoid the skin of an orange or grapefruit, you also wouldn’t want to take a bite of the passion fruit’s outer later. Everything on the inside, feel free to enjoy!

And there’s good reason to enjoy a ripe passion fruit on your Fiji holiday. This small fruit is packed with nutrients, but low in calories. The passion fruit is high in beta-carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin A, and dietary fiber. This combination of vitamins and minerals is ideal for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant purposes.

#6: Grapefruit

Finally, there is the much beloved and frequently eaten grapefruit. A favorite at breakfast, on a salad, or part of a delicious marinade the grapefruit brings a tart punch to many dishes and meals. In much of the western world, the grapefruit is adored for its association with weight loss and heart health, in Fiji this flavorful fruit is just adored. And due to the freshness of the grapefruit in Fiji, you’ll notice a lack of bitterness or sharpness in the varieties you try here; proving that everything is better when consumed close to the source!

Where to Find These Favorite Fruits

These delicious fruits are found across Fiji, but more even more exciting than their widespread availability is that each is extremely accessible at Raiwasa Private Resort. Each of these fruits is grown directly on our three-acre property and can be picked just before eating.

Now, that’s a sweet reason to pick Raiwasa for your next Fiji holiday.