TONGA: Coconut Mussels (Mosolo Loloi), Savory Green Bananas (Faʻalifu Faʻi ), and Tongan Fruit Salad

Meals like these are why I love this journey. I doubted each component before we ate. The mussels and fruit salad seemed too simple to feel novel — and bananas, coconut milk, and onions did not seem a natural marriage. Then, each component exceeded my expectations. The mussels were far better than the sum of their parts. (We had some left over rice we reheated to serve alongside them; next time I will make rice, as the sauce we excellent.) The unsweetened coconut brought an umami and crunch to the fruit salad. The the bananas were shockingly good as a savory side.

Coconut Mussels (Mosolo Loloi)

2–3 lbs fresh mussels (cleaned)

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons grated, fresh ginger

1–2 small chili peppers (optional)

1 cup coconut cream (~½ a 14-oz can)

Salt to taste

1. If the mussels are not cleaned, rinse them well and remove beards. Discard any mussels that are cracked or open.

2. In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Chop the onions and sauté until transluscent, about 5 minutes*. Mince the garlic and chilis, if using. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis, if using, to the pan and lightly sauté 2 minutes.

3. Add a splash of water and the cleaned mussels to the pan. Cover and cook 5–7 minutes until almost all or all of the mussel shells open. Discard any mussels that remain shut.

4. Pour in the coconut cream, reduce heat to low, and warm gently, until cream is melted fully and slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning.

*If also making the green bananas, you can sauté the onions for both dishes together in the mussels' sauté pan. Remove about half and set aside for the bananas before adding the garlic and ginger.

Savory Green Bananas (Faʻalifu Faʻi )

4 green bananas (unripe bananas, often sold separately from standard bananas)

1 tablespoon canola oil*

1 onion*

1 ~14-oz can coconut milk

Salt to taste

1. Fill a pot large enough to hold the 4 bananas, whole, with water and salt (about the same amount you use for cooking pasta). Place over high heat.

2. Cut both ends off a banana, then run a knife blade down the length of it to slice open the skin. Peel the skin off the banana. Cut the remaining three bananas in the same manner. Once the water boils, add the peeled bananas to it. When water returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil 5 minutes.

3. Peel and chop the onion. When the bananas have boiled 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pot and set aside, then empty the pot of water. Dry the pot andp lace over medium heat. Add the oil and the onions. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

4. Add in the coconut milk and parboiled bananas. Simmer about 5 minutes. Salt to taste.

*If cooking the onions with the onions needed for the mussels, no need for this additional oil.

Tongan Fruit Salad

2 ripe mangos

1 small pineapple

2 bananas

½ lime

3 tablespoons unsweetened, dried coconut

1. Peel fruit and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. In a large bowl, combine fruit. Squeeze lime over top, and sprinkle coconut. Gently stir until evenly mixed.

3. Serve immediately, or cover well and chill up to 8 hours

#mussels #bananas #coconut #fruitsalad #tonga

FUN FACTS:

• Tonga is the only Pacific nation not to have been formally colonized by a foreign power.

• Tonga holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s heaviest monarch. King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV weighed 460 lbs at his heaviest.

• Sundays are days of rest on Tonga. Businesses are closed, no flights are scheduled, and no sports activities are permitted.