River Harvest · Freshwater Mussels
Kai
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These small freshwater mussels are dug straight out of muddy riverbanks and mangrove flats by hand, then boiled or baked in coconut cream, shell and all.
Kai, a native freshwater mussel, is harvested from river mouths and mangrove estuaries around Fiji, including parts of Vanua Levu, then baked or boiled in coconut cream with spring onion and tomato, or simply fried with onions.
Why it's made this way: Kai has long supported the diet and income of riverside Fijian communities, though villagers have reported the mussels growing smaller and scarcer over recent decades, making the harvest an increasingly valued one.
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