Mauritian gastronomy

A cultural blend

The unique history of the island has resulted in the blend of various cultures and the presence of a multicultural cuisine. Being a unique mix of French, British, Indian, Chinese, and Creole gastronomy and cooking traditions, the Mauritian cuisine offers a wide variety of culinary choices. Passing through the different parts of Mauritius, you will be able to experience typical Mauritian dishes.

Common local dishes

Two very common local dishes, which you can find at street stalls all over the island, are the Dholl Puri (stuffed flatbread made of flour and dhal grains) and Roti (also referred to as Farata). The latter originates from Indian cuisine and consists of flatbread (similar to a crepe), filled with curry, "rougaille", chilli peppers, and pickles. Wherever you go in Mauritius, you will certainly not miss the long queues in front of the roti, dholl puri, gateaux piments and gateaux arouille stalls.

Fruits for every season

Fruit salads are popular choices among locals, especially during the summer months. These can be purchased at almost every street corner, as well as local markets. Depending on your preferences and the season, you can opt for a wide variety of fruits, such as fresh mangoes and pineapples, and cal also add a hint of chilli and tamarind sauce on them, for a more local taste.

Chilli and spices

Mauritians oftentime enjoy accompaying their dishes with chilli peppers and spices. However, if you're not used to these, be careful when adding them to your dishes!

Savouries

You should not miss the chance to try gateaux piments, gateaux arouille, samoussas, gateaux dipains frires, poutous and gateaux patates. They can be found on almost every street corner.

Drinks

The alouda is a rich, creamy, non-alcoholic drink. It is made of milk, basil seeds, vanilla or strawberry essence, grated agar (gelatine), and is sometimes topped with a scoop of ice-cream. For a less-creamy option, we suggest you a glass of fresh coconut water, which can be purchased at the local markets or the beach, for example.

International cuisine

Even though they represent only a minority of the Mauritian population, the Sino-Mauritians have a great influence on the Mauritian cuisine. Some of their more well-known specialities ' dim sum, meatballs, dumplings, fried rice, fried noodles, magic rice bowl, and mee-foon ' are among the most preferred dishes of locals.

On the island, there are as many Chinese restaurants as Indian ones. Of course, you can also find the major international fast food chains.