Cultural diversity and cuisines from Polynesia

THERE are thousands of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Some island groups are independent nations, others are territories or dependencies of the United States, New Zealand, France and the United Kingdom.

The island groups are categorized as Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.

The inhabitants of these island groups are known as Pacific Islanders. They live a very social lifestyle, in which family members, both immediate and extended, work together in a solidified community. Their cultures follow customs and traditions based on ancient principles that promote living an honorable and noble lifestyle.

Embedded deeply into the Polynesian culture are traditional music, dance and food.

Recently, I had the unique honor and privilege to meet with Robert Oliver, a New Zealand-born chef and author of “Me’a Kai — The Food and Flavors of the South Pacific” that won the Best Cookbook in the World 2010 title at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris.

This book examined Polynesian cuisines from around the Pacific and overnight, elevated Robert to the well-deserved position among the book publishing deity.

Oliver recently arrived in town to present a keynote address at the 2018 Shanghai Literary Festival. He opened his address with the following remarks: “When you sit down to eat, what you see before you, is a plate of food. I’m going to talk about a way of looking at food, beyond the plate, beyond the recipe. This is an approach to food — whose aim is to empower chefs, stimulate national economies, reclaim tradition and health. I call it the power of cuisine.”

He went on to describe how it was, as a New Zealand-born

(a generic Polynesian term for a Caucasian), he grew up in the Pacific Islands.

“I was born in New Zealand (where shopping was done in dreary, sanitized supermarkets), but had the astonishing good luck to be raised in the Pacific Islands — where locals shopped at the local marketplace in Suva, Fiji — full of laughter, gossip and endless amazing food. We were immersed in a whole new food culture — and we loved it. It was through this experience that my destiny as a chef was mapped out.”

He traveled to far-flung places like New York and the Caribbean where he was commissioned to install 21 restaurants into three resorts.

It was during this period that he found — all the foodstuff for the resorts were imported, in spite of the excellent quality and availability of local supply. He was struck with the notion of utilizing local raw products as a source of supply for the resorts.

As he went about implementing this new concept, one thing kept coming up. The local cooks didn’t think their own food was good enough to be on the menus — good enough for home, but not enough for the menus of top rated local hotels and resorts. I disagreed totally of course, but I knew that local cuisine requires local agriculture, so I needed to encourage the development of local cuisine.”

“When local food is recognized as inalienable characteristic of the culture, it becomes something for everyone.” To Oliver, “sharing food is sharing from the heart, sharing of oneself. Food creates a culture of kindness.”

Oliver realized the same was true of Pacific fare. “Our cultural menus were heavily skewered toward western food. We always think that overseas is better, including food. In our minds — Pacific food did not have the same status as say French or Chinese cuisine.”

Upon his return to the Pacific, he was stunned by what he saw. An “organic revolution” was underway. There were lots of high value local product to draw from. To the outside world, organics is the luxury brand of cuisine. Organics is a natural fit in the Pacific, as it’s the same methodology used today as the original farming methods. It’s not just a health brand. It is also in the way that Pacific people come together over food.

In the Pacific, food strengthens, even creates communities. The story of food is the story of the people.

Together with Dr Tracy Berno, they hatched a plan to publish a book that would create excitement around Pacific Island food in the expectation this would help raise awareness as to the cultural/tourism market.

Dr Berno, who co-authored “Me’a Kai” with Oliver, is a tourism academic and consultant who has worked in the Pacific for over two decades. To set this plan to action, Oliver decided to return home to the Pacific.

Another friend and mentor in Fiji, Suliana Siwatibau, whose work included saving many of the Pacific heritage crops, is an expert on traditional Pacific healing thru food. Siwatibau understands that: “When one loses a crop, you don’t just lose the food — you also lose the knowledge. You lose the culture.”

When “Me’a Kai” won the biggest award in the food world, in one spectacular moment Pacific Island cuisine took its rightful place next to the great cuisines of the world.

As such, my work had been about the economic potential of the cuisine, but what has most emerged for me is the issue of Pacific health. People throughout the South Pacific have stopped eating traditional food and are consuming processed foods. Their health is suffering as a result.

Yet the key to good health is all around — in Pacific farms, wet and dry markets and in the rustic dishes our grandmothers cook. Everyone has the power to change this. In fact, if you walk into any market, or Pacific village or farm, you’ll see the toolkit for good nutrition.

is not just food — it is matrix of connections to culture, community, the natural and supernatural worlds. If you raise the — you raise it all.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this won’t be the last time we will see Oliver back here in China. Happily so!