Miti

Miti is Fiji’s signature coconut-based condiment. Locals combine coconut cream with onion, lemon or lime juice, tomato, salt, and chili. It’s a tangy, biting, creamy combination of flavors that pairs well with all kinds of island dishes.

Used as a relish for everything from fern sprouts to seaweed to fresh fish—both cooked and raw—the coconut cream sauce is ubiquitous in Fijian cuisine. But its most famed use is likely kokoda. Fiji’s signature ceviche relies on miti’s citrus and salt to cure raw chunks of fish. Unlike the vinegar-based style of ceviche that’s popular in Latin America, kokoda is creamy as well as spicy.

Miti relies on an intense medley of strong flavors to add a creamy punch to local ingredients. Next time you put the lime in the coconut, remember the following steps: Throw in some chili and salt, then toss it with cubes of raw fish and let it all marinate for an hour or two. If you hold the whole dish up to your ear, you might be able to hear the sound of the waves.