Were you able to find the narot, a traditional Melanesian Vanuatu dish? This dish is made up of steamed taro, a popular vegetable in the Pacific region, that has been molded into a sticky treat stretched and kneaded like mochi. It’s customarily eaten in the company of friends and family.
This traditional dish in and of itself is something worth treasuring, but here we’d like to introduce a concept more deeply tied to the islanders-- the idea of “kere kere”.
So what is “kere kere”? Let’s explain with an example-- Say someone made a dish like narot, then if someone wanted to eat it they would need permission, right? This isn’t exactly true in this case. The concept of “kere kere” is that nothing belongs to just one person and everything is shared. There are no boundaries, and no one is angry or offended. That is “kere kere”: the ultimate sharing spirit-- what's mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.
The originally Fijan idea of “kere kere” is widespread in Melanesia. If you watch the video “Eating Sea Turtles” you can see that if someone catches a sea turtle and cooks it, it’s assumed that the whole island will join in and feast on the delicacy. The video may contain graphic scenes, but the genuine smiles of the community members as they eat together give you an idea of the importance they place on sharing.
Food is not the only thing these islanders share- you can say “kere kere” and without another word, you can borrow someone’s car tire or use their kitchen. Even the concept of child-rearing is thought of as a community responsibility and everyone takes part in helping each other.
The concept of “kere kere” is more than just sharing, but maintaining a spirit of always being there for each other. In Okinawa, there is a similar concept of “yuimaru”. To the people living on small islands, this idea of cooperation and helping each other is treasured deep within their hearts.
