A career-driven Secondary School student, Litia Adimaiwai, is consid­ering a career in the culinary arts field. This is after learning about the inter­esting and demanding profession at the Fiji National University’s (FNU) open day.

The Culinary Arts field involves the prepa­ration, cooking, plating, presentation and service of food.

The Dreketi Central College Year 13 stu­dent said this was her first experience tak­ing part in a university open day.

The event was held at the Naduna Campus in Labasa on Friday. Litia said the different informative booths of career options had been an eye-opener for her in choosing her career path.

“Personally, I have great respect for people involved in the food industry and to learn the different ways they prepare and present their dishes in front of others is amazing,” she said.

Litia understood the demand for chefs and people involved in the food industry over­seas and the benefits it provides to the suc­cessful person.

Dreketi Central College Year 13 student, Litia Adimaiwai, at the Culinary Arts section during the Fiji National University’s open day at their Naduna campus in Labasa, on October 21, 2022.
Photo: Sampras Anand

She plans to take these culinary skills back to her village and promote them to her par­ents, friends and relatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a learn­ing curve for her to be self-sufficient in times of adversity.

Litia believes the knowledge and skills of food preparation and handling could be a way forward for budding local food vendors.

“For instance in our area, we have the ferry buses and other vehicles travelling to Dreketi on a daily basis, so the food busi­ness will be sustainable,” she said.

FNU Food and Beverages lecturer, Jaish­ma Devi, said students had a great chance to see first-hand what the field offered.

Ms Devi, originally from Ba, recalled how interested and motivated she had been in having a future in the food industry, ever since she was a child.

She said our country needed more culi­nary arts enthusiasts to improve our stand­ards in this regard.

“At our local restaurants, we at times per­ceive how unhygienically food is prepared and this course offers the best chance to learn how food is handled and managed in a clean environment,”Ms Devi said.

“There is great demand overseas for chefs and food preparation employees.

“There is a need to uplift the food stand­ards in Vanua Levu after I observed there is hardly any food eatery having five-star grading.”

Feedback: sampras.anand@fijisun.com.fj