THE TALE OF SOVU, A FAMILY STORY

So we all have that one family story that never gets old and is passed on like an heirloom from one generation to the next.

Here’s mine, an aunt of mine married a man from Naitasiri. After their wedding ceremony, she officially moved to Naitairi to carry our her duties.

Their first Sunday lunch, my aunt is given the task of preparing lunch, she was told to make sovu valolo (rourou valolo). She confidently said that she could handle the lunch menu.

Her in-laws went to church and she began her prep. Halfway through, she realized that she had no idea what they meant by the term sovu. After contemplating whether or not to proceed with lunch, she decided this must be some kind of delicacy and continued with her  lunch prep.

Church service concluded and her in-laws returned excited and hungry.

My aunt proceeds to serve lunch and to her in-laws surprise, there were bars of soap in their bowls drenched in lolo.

That was the day she learned that sovu in the Naitaisiri dialect is rourou.