Trying Fresh Local Juice at Lautoka Market in Fiji
Bula, and it’s been a while since my last Fiji Life blog.
From today, I’m planning to share more of my everyday life in Fiji again—about once a week.
I’d love it if you could enjoy these little stories with me.
We’ll also be releasing the 4th issue of Bula Fiji Magazine next month.
It’s going to be bigger and better than ever, so please look forward to that as well.
And I’ll keep adding more web articles too, sharing different sides of Fiji little by little.
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Today’s story is about a delicious juice I discovered at a local market.
While I was walking around Lautoka Market,
a Fijian woman suddenly spoke to me.
“Bula! This makes a really good Fiji orange juice!”
She kept saying,
“Very delicious, very delicious, very very delicious,”
over and over again with such a serious face that I couldn’t help but smile.
She told me how to make it—just squeeze the fruit, add water, ice, and sugar, and it becomes an amazing juice.
So I decided to give it a try and bought a plate for FJD 2.
Before I left, she told me,
“You should go to the bus station. There are juice stands there.”
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When I went there,
I found rows of juice stands lined up.
I had seen these stands many times in town before,
but somehow I had never actually tried one.
So this time, I ordered a cup.
The first sip was so refreshing—
light, slightly sweet, and incredibly satisfying.
After walking in the heat, it felt like the sweetness and slight tanginess were soaking into my body.
It was one of those simple moments that made me think, “This is Fiji.”
The woman at the stand was also very cheerful and kind.
She smiled and said, “It’s good when it’s hot, right?”
At these juice stands, you can choose to drink there or take it away.
If you drink there, it’s usually served in a simple cup,
and everyone just stands around and drinks—very local style.
There are takeaway cups too, and I chose that option.
It was FJD 2.
Later, when I visited a town called Sigatoka,
I found the same kind of juice again.
This time, I drank it there…
and it was only 50 cents.
I was honestly surprised by how cheap it was.
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When I got home, I tried making the juice myself.
I squeezed the fruit and added water, sugar, and ice—simple as that.
Mine turned out a bit more sour, probably because I didn’t add enough sugar,
but it was still refreshing and delicious in its own way.
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By the way, the woman at the market called this fruit “Fiji orange,”
but I still don’t know its real name.
At the market, I often see different kinds of citrus fruits,
and people explain them as “Fiji lemon,” “Fiji lime,” or “Fiji orange,”
but I still don’t really know their proper names… (laugh)
Next time I go back to Lautoka,
I hope I’ll run into her again and ask.
Discovering these little things little by little
is one of the things I love about living in Fiji.
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By the way, this Fiji orange juice will also be featured
in the next issue of Bula Fiji Magazine.
So please look forward to that as well.