interesting Origin of
pp. 62-64 · Read in the full issue
Fiji's Banana Is
From China
interesting Origin of Pacific Foodstuff
W[HY do the Fijians apply the name “China’ to their bananas, which apparently constitute one of their indigenous foodstuffs?
The answer—given to us by Mr. Thomas Horne, of Suva—is interesting, and re presents a forgotten item of history.
In pre-European days, in Fiji, there was no banana as we know it to-day. There was only plantain. It was a common article of Fiji food, and was called Vundi, and it was in three main varieties, called Vundi Waiwai, Vundi Dina and Vundi Soso.
A British representative in China, in the latter part of last century, was favourably impressed with a type of banana found there—small, but of excel lent flavour, and a good food. He took the banana to England, where it was cultivated in hot-houses.
After the London Missionary Society had established its first stations in the South Pacific, and when it was about to despatch its first vessel, “John Williams I,” the Cavendish banana from China was given to the Society, for cultivation in the South Seas.
The plants were placed aboard the ship, but they were not tended as they might have been; and when the ship arrived in Apia, Western Samoa, they seemed to be dead and useless, and were thrown onto a rubbish heap.
But the banana is not easily killed; and one of the LMS missionaries named Hardie —his descendants now live in Sydney noticed that some green leaves were still showing, and he planted them out and saved them.
That was the actual origin of the good banana in the South Pacific. The plant soon spread over all the adjoining groups and, as it was generally known that it caifce from China, the natives in some places caled it “China banana,” or simply “China.”
“China” quickly became a favourite food in Fijian. Then this small, well flavoured banana was crossed with a large, coarse banana from the West In dies called Gros Michel, with the result that we got the big, delicious, nicely flavoured fruit known far and wide as Fiji bananas. But the Fijians have an other name for them ‘Vei-ma-ma,” which means “half and half” (half China banana and half Gros Michel), PEOPLE in the South-west Pacific, who have tasted only the coarse, ill-favoured varieties grown in Northeast Australia, do not know what a real banana is like. The best fruit probably comes from Fiji and Samoa, although there are some very agreeable, small varieties grown in New Guinea and the Solomons.
About 13 years ago, Australia, in order to hold her flour trade with Fiji, agreed to admit 40,000 centals of Fiji bananas to the Australian market. The fruit was snapped up eagerly, at high prices. But the Australian banana-growers put up a mighty howl, and got after their politi cians; and the latter, by various devices, succeeded in shutting out the Fiji fruit.
The Australian laws still permit the entry of Fiji bananas, to a limited extent; but let the Fijian exporter try it on, and see what will happen to their shipments!
Yet Fiji still buys large quantities of Aus tralian flour.
Mr. Roy McGregor, well-known business man from the Madang district of New Guinea, arrived in Sydney in November by Catalina, and expects to spend a few weeks’ holiday in NSW, combining busi ness with pleasure.
Mr. Peter Cameron, of the British Solomon Islands administrative service arrived in Sydney by Trans-Oceanic flying-boat on December 1. He is on his way to the United Kingdom. He recently inherited £60,000 from his mother and his aunt. After two months special leave on this account, he will return to BSI.