Top Mauritian Foods

With its palette of cultures, Mauritius has the best to offer in terms of delicacies. Some restaurants do provide Mauritian foods, but leaving your hotel or villa might prove wonderful if you want to discover one of the hidden treasures of Mauritius. If you are one of those willing to hire a car and wind through the Mauritian roads, during your sojourn, to the city centres, markets and street corners, you will discover some of the best eats on the island.

Street food is fantastic in Mauritius. You can find everything from fresh coconut water, chopped fruit covered in chilli and tamarind marmelade, hot curries topped with chill, pickles wrapped in buttery breads, and Chinese fried noodles.  You will also have the possibility to discover the local drinks, distilleries and breweries. Mauritian restaurants, too, propose some delicious and unique dishes all throughout the island. You just need to wander around and discover those wonderful delights that will trigger your taste buds.

Typical Street Foods

Dholl Puri

You will find dholl puris everywhere in Mauritius. At each street corner, in every town, you will be able to taste one of the most popular on-the-go snack in Mauritius by far. This pancake-style flatbread stuffed with cooked yellow split peas which have been blended and seasoned, is a savoury treat so simple and handy. They are always served in pairs, and rolled up with bean curry, “achard” (pickle), Mauritian “Rougaille”; a spicy tomato-based sauce made with spring onions, garlic, pepper and ginger.  The famous and exquisite “dholl puri” will certainly conquer your taste buds.

Roti Chaud

The Roti chaud (hot roti) is a flat Indian bread usually served with various curries, chutneys and pickles just like the dholl puri. You will most probably buy them from the back of a motorbike or a street food stall. Those foodie will definitely enjoy this hot roti and the savoury curry it enrolls.

Gato Frire

“Gato frire” are those snacks you will encounter in every “tabagies”(small shops), street stalls or markets. They are deep fried snacks made from different vegetables. “Gato piment” being the most popular; you will, without any doubt, adore those small balls of yellow splitted peas and chilli. 

You can also taste the exquisite “Gato Arouille” -Taro cakes, made of grated taro and sugar. You can also enjoy other delices like “Pain frire” (Fried bread cakes), “Gato patate” – sweet potato cakes stuffed with coconut and sugar, “Gato bringel” (Bringel fried cakes), “Gato pomme de terre”(Potato Fried Cakes), Samoussas- Triangular shaped cakes stuffed with potato curry or cheese and much more.

SEV

SEV is a crispy noodle-like snack. It is is essentially small pieces of crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste which is seasoned with turmeric and cayenne before being deep-fried in oil. You can also at times find grilled peanuts in your sachet of SEV.

Poudine Maye- Poudine Manioc- Poudine Vermicelle

Those too can be spotted on street corners. Maize pudding, Cassava pudding and Vermicelli pudding are usually considered as deserts. It can also be a good treat for those small children looking for a sweet, delicate and smooth snack.

Alouda Glacé

Alouda Glacé is a local milk-based drink is a much-sought form of refreshment on any summer day. It can be bought at the foodcourt of any marketplace. Basil seeds is one of the more important ingredients required for making Alouda. Jelly made out of agar agar is also added for texture and sometimes you get an ice cream ball with the mixture, making it irresistible.

Those delectable seasonal fruits can be found all around the island during the period they are available. From pineapples to mangoes to guavas and jambolan, you will definitely enjoy the perfect blending of those tropical fruits solely or in fruits salad.

Mauritian Dishes You Should Not Miss!

Bouillon Brèdes

Bouillon Brèdes is usually a soup made of eatable leaves such as chayote leaves, watercress leaves or pak-choi leaves. It usually accompanies rice and is accompanied by assorted chutneys and pickles. The classics remain the “Chatini poisson-salée”- Salted fish Chutney or the “Chatini Cotomili”- Coriander leaves Chutney. Some prefers pickles or “Kucha”- A sort of pickle chutney. So mauritius and so delightful.

“Ene bon Carry”- A Yummy Curry!

The main feature of a curry is the incorporation of complex combinations of spices and/or herbs, usually including fresh or dried hot chillies. They are usually prepared with various bases such as chicken, fish, octopus or even prawns. Their authentic taste is enthralling and will always make you want more of it. Curries usually accompanies rice, roti or dhol puri and are generally accompanied by mixed salads.

Bouillon Boulettes- Boulettes Soup

Boulettes soup- Bouillon Boulettes, can be found in any chinese restaurant and even on street corners at times. The boulettes usually made from grated chayote mixed with dried prawns, chicken/beef and tapioca. They can be great appetizers and accompanied with some good chilli will definitely make it a pure bliss having a “Bol 5”- A bowl of 5 boulettes.

Dim Sum

Mauritius has delicious Cantonese food.  You will discover typical Cantonese dim sum with Mauritian touches, such as shrimp and taro dumplings. They too are incredible appetitizers that are worth a taste.

Bol Renverser- Reversed Bowl

Another Chinese delice which comprises of a chop suey sauce accompanied with stirred vegetables, chicken, prawns and chinese sweet sausages topped with an egg. All of those is assembled in reverse in a bowl which is in turn, turned upside down onto a plate, to reveal the magic combination you see above. It is not only a feast for the eyes but a feast for any food lover.

Noddles

Noddles are usually prepared in two forms in Mauritius. You will either find they stir fried with chicken or beef and vegetables or you will find they boiled and accompanied with various sauces or preparations. Both of them are succulent and will amaze your taste buds.

Briani

A favourite Mauritian dish: briyani (briani) will conquer more than one. Similar to Indian briyani, it’s a rice dish made with beef, chicken, fish, mutton or vegetables (as well as yoghurt, saffron and spicies) that originates from Muslim Mauritians. Make it a mus to taste it foodies.

Some Local Products

Tea

The local tea from Bois Cherie plantation is incredible. With its variety of scenting, it makes drinking tea become a whole new experience. You can find them anywhere on the island and you can also visit the tea plantations in Bois Cherie.

Pheonix Beer

One of the best beers in the world and acclaimed for its high quality, Phoenix beer remains one of the must-taste of the island. Beer lovers have to judge by themselves.

Vanilla

You will also encounter vanilla plantations on the island and you will also have the opportunity to buy them or taste them in the local rhum.

Rhum

Since the island is a producer of sugar, cane liquor is locally produced. You can find them at different spots on the island like at Rhumerie Des Mascareignes or Rhumerie de Chamarel.

Teokon

One weird yet delicious ingredient that you can add up to almost everything is the local teokon- most usually known as Tofou. It is made from soya and can be deep fried or eaten raw. It is usually added to vegetarian curries or you can find them in the famous “bouillon boulettes”.

Dried Sea Products

Those dries octopuses, fishes and prawns can be found at the market. They are commonly used in the Mauritian cuisine in dishes like “rougailles” or chutneys. They are normally dried in the sun and preserved with salt.

So Mauritius… So Delicious…. 

Bon Appetit!