Hello again, food lovers! 

Thank you for joining me for another one of my food blogs. Today we are traveling to Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, east to Madagascar. It is a volcanic island that first rose above the ocean water about eight million years ago (woah!). It’s famous for its gorgeous, breathtaking beaches with clear turquoise water and vast wildlife variety, especially underwater. Let’s dive into Mauritius’ amazing cuisine!

     1. Farata

Farata is a very popular street food in Mauritius and is basically the Mauritian version of Indian paratha: a layered, very thin, pan-fried flatbread. It is made from flour, water, and oil, which are all very basic ingredients. Faratas are served warm, crispy, and are usually served as a side of a spicy curry dish. Because it is made up of very basic ingredients, it is really easy to make farata at home, and it’s a perfect side to any dish, or can just be eaten as a tasty snack!

     2. Le bol renversé

Le bol renversé (or bol renversé for short) literally translates to “upside-down bowl”. This is a very popular dish in Mauritian and is commonly found in many households. It is a Chinese-Mauritian dish that is composed of layers of chicken, vegetables, and rice that are all stir fried together and organized into a dome shape. They are then topped with a fried egg and for the grand finale the whole dish is typically decorated with onions or chives to give it a fancy looking finish. Some also make this dish without chicken in order to make it vegetarian and add more vegetables like broccoli and snap peas. Is it just me or is your mouth watering too?! 😉

     3. Mauritian coconut chutney

Mauritian coconut chutney is a common side to many dishes, especially to curries and rice. It is made up of coconut, fresh mint, garlic, tamarind (a tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa), green chilies, and water. The coconut is grated, and then the coconut and all the other ingredients are grinded into fine chutney (a spicy condiment). When the chutney reaches a point where its texture is consistent all around, it is ready to be eaten. It is then typically eaten with some rice and curry. 

     4. Alouda

Although this is not a food, I thought it was too cool looking not to share! Alouda is a classic Mauritius drink that is usually prepared from a mix of agar jelly, basil seeds, milk, and vanilla. These are all combined and then served with ice. This drink can be found fresh in many markets in Mauritius and can also be bought in many stores. Some people like to make alouda with evaporated milk or mix some ice cream in it, which makes the beverage much thicker and more filling. 

     5. Macatia coco

Macatia coco is a sweet dessert that is eaten by many Mauritians. The name of this sweet comes from the Swahili language, where it means “bread”. This is because this dessert symbolizes the bread of slaves, for which macatia was prepared with the remains of bread from the day before, and sugar was added to remove the bitterness of the old dough. Macatia is usually eaten as a snack with a cup of hot tea or coffee and can be made even better by spreading some butter on the sugar on top and coconut paste inside the bread. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Thank you for reading today’s blog, and hope you enjoyed learning about Mauritius’ cuisine! Although I have never personally been there, this beautiful island is definitely on my bucket list! Let me know in the comments which food you liked the most and if you’ve heard or tasted and of these 🙂

Oréwar! (“Goodbye!” in Mauritian Creole)

Oren 🙂