Tea in Tonga

I was never much of a tea drinker. My parents always drank tea but it was not a drink I naturally took up as I entered adulthood unlike many of my peers. I would mainly drink water, and on rare occasions Mum would splash out and buy some cordial like 'Thrifty®' or the overly sweet 'Raro®'. How I cringe at the thought of those overly sweetened and artificially coloured sachet drinks.

When I had tried tasting tea, I had found it extremely strong and unpleasant, and never liked the traditional milky brew of my British ancestors.

At the end of my secondary schooling I joined a summer work-camp of New Zealand students to the southern Tongan island of 'Eua. We painted the classrooms of the Horticultural College over a period of three weeks. In between we got to discover the  delights of 'Eua and Tongan lifestyle. The beaches, swimming around coral reef areas, climbing coconut trees, and the 'friendly people'.

Our meals were cooked by our Tongan hosts. Lots of taro, fish, green bananas in coconut milk and crusty  'homemade' bread shipped in from Nuku'alofa and the loveliest Tongan pumpkin cake for dessert.

Then there were the amazing Tongan feasts held for us after Sunday church where we were treated like Kings and Queens. The feasts were village affairs prepared by the community which in themselves were a testimony celebrating the approach of collective food contributions and collaborative village work that is needed to provide such a feast. Suckling pigs, fish and Tongan chop suey, the most tasty caramel coconut dumpling pudding called faikakai and watermelon based fruit salad were just a few of the feast delights. We quickly learnt not to leave our plate bare at the end of a meal.   Unlike 'palangi' (white) culture where you showed you enjoyed your meal by eating all that was served to you, leaving the plate bare, in Tonga meant you were still hungry. Consequently your hosts would try and put more food on your plate to ensure you got enough that fulfilled your appetite. Only by leaving food on your plate did it indicate you had eaten enough that you were full and could eat no more thus indicating to your hosts that they had done a great job satisfying your needs. 

Tongan Pumpkin Cake

During our time in Tonga for one weekend all the students were billeted out to stay with families in one of 'Eua's villages. We got to experience living with a Tongan family. 

As per tradition our meals were made by the family. My offers to help with any food preparation over the weekend, with a desire to learn the secrets of Tongan cooking, were kindly declined.  As a guest my meal was served separate to the family and away from where they would later eat. With each meal, Tongan tea was served. As a non-tea drinker, I suddenly had to learn to drink tea.  It would have been highly disrespectful to decline.  

Milk was not an ingredient that was readily available and most homes had no refrigeration. The best alternative was imported sweetened condensed milk and that was not cheap commodity. The tea was reminiscent of my prior tea tastings experiences. It was a dark brew of black tea similar to the tea brands that dominated the New Zealand supermarkets in the 80's. However this brew was far more palatable by the additive of condensed milk making it an intensely sweet and creamy hot drink.

On Sunday we all attended church dressed in traditional attire. Again after church there was a feast in our honour and then we went home and slept. As it was Sunday, there was no partying or kava drinking on the 'Sabbath day' so the village waited until after midnight and we all gathered at the local hall and Tongan danced into the wee hours while the men drank kava to one side. The experience was mind blowing for this teenager and the hospitality overwhelming. I loved it and I wanted to be Tongan! Returning to New Zealand was a bit of a cultural shock as I stepped off the plane in my Tongan clothing back into New Zealand westernized culture. 

Even though on my return to New Zealand I didn't take up drinking tea for many many years, the enduring hospitality of my Tongan hosts and the sweetness of that tea was reminiscent of my whole visit to Tonga. Tea in Tonga left an enduring essence of gratitude. Those who had very little gave up much to host this white teenager providing every comfort that I might need.  The strength, richness, sweetness and warmth of that tea could only symbolize the cultural richness and hospitality of the 'Friendly People' of Tonga and in particular the people of 'Eua.