The basic elements of Fijian cooking consists of sweet potatoes, taro (a yam-like root vegetable), rice, cassava, coconut and fish. The primary cooking methods are either over an open fire or using underground cooking methods. The migration of Indians to Fiji began in the 1870s, when thousands arrived to work in the sugarcane industry. With them they brought new and exciting ingredients from their homeland, and as the cultures merged, a distinctive style of ‘Fijian-Indo’ cooking evolved. For this reason, Fijian cuisine has elements of colorful curries and spices within it, that its neighboring Pacific countries do not.