Thanks for the welcome 702

The Reid There's not a great deal of variety outside the capital (I was based in the Ha'apai group, quite isolated).

From November to about May, there are no fresh vegetables at the market because they haven't planted any - just starchy things like beadfruit, taro, cbuttava, yams and sweet potatoes,which give bulk without much flavour. The only 'greens' are taro leaves- and they have to be cooked properly otherwise the acid crystals in them make your lips burn (I learned that the hard way!)

Lots of fresh fish, a huge variety - that was a plus, but fish seven times a week gets a bit monotonous. At feasts there would be whole piglets, cooked in an earth oven, but the only meat available in the shops was fatty frozen chicken pieces from America and revolting mutton flaps ('sipi) from New Zealand - the fatter the better. Tongans eat lots of tinned corned beef (ugh) and tinned fish - I have actually seen them sell their fresh fish to get the money to buy tinned fish! Most things were cooked in coconut milk. There were always bananas and plantains available (plantain chips are every bit as nice as potato chips). I could usually get eggs as long as the inter-island ferry made its weekly visit - eggs were imported from America and the proportion of rotten ones to good ones was high. If there was a big event to be catered for (ceremonys, wedding or big feast), supplies of chicken, fish and eggs would run out until the next week, so it was important to keep one's ear to the ground and stock up in advance. weather also governed the fish supply - if the sea was rough, the boats didn't go out, it was that simple. During a long public servants strike last year, no ice was produced, so there was no fishing - for seven weeks... Occasionally, one or other of the little shops would get tins of tomatoes or mushrooms - that was a real treat.

Other than basic salt and pepper, any herbs and spices had to be bought in the capital (Nuku'alofa) or overseas. Care packages were important!

A large number of adult Tongans have diabetes - caused no doubt by their poor diet. They are all overweight - huge, in fact, and eat enormously.

Regards, Anne