Madagascar Food and Drink
Food
The cuisine of Madagascar is truly a reflection of the African, Arab and Indonesian peoples that have settled in the country. There are also certain French influences found in the crops that early French colonizers brought including vanilla, coffee, cloves and sugar cane. A traditional meal in Madagascar usually contains one main dish of meat, poultry or fish with a side dish of vegetables, accompanied by a bowl of ro (a mix of herbs, leaves and rice). Malagasy cuisine is known for being quite flavourful despite being prepared in a simple manner without much spice.
Popular dishes include:
Foza sy hena-kisoa: this dish consists of stir-fried pork and crab served with rice.
Ramazava: this dish is made up of leaves, herbs and pieces of beef and pork cooked in oil until browned.
Vary amid’anana: this dish includes rice, leaves or herbs, meat and sometimes shrimp.
Lasopy: this is a soup made with veal or beef broth and vegetables including carrots, turnips, white potatoes, scallions, string beans, tomatoes and then salt. Once the soup has become thick, it is served with crackers or fresh bread.
A popular snack found throughout the island is known as Koba. Koba consists of a helping of rice served with banana and seafood.
Desserts tend to be delicious local tropical fruits that are served with sugar sprinkled on top and then flavoured with vanilla.
Drink
It is not safe to drink tap water in Madagascar so visitors should stick to bottled water which is readily available. Most roadside stalls and stores will sell bottled water and Coca-Cola. A popular local drink is ranonapango which is burned rice water. After a pot of rice has been overcooked, boiling water is added to the rice to get the flavour. The water is then poured out, chilled and served. Beers available in Madagascar include Three Horses Beer (THB) and Gold.
Things to Know:
Tipping is not customary in hotels, however, restaurants tend to expect around 10%.
Madagascar Travel Information
At Goway we believe that a well-informed traveller is a safer traveller. With this in mind, we have compiled an easy-to-navigate travel information section dedicated to Madagascar.
Learn about the history and culture of Madagascar, the must-try food and drink, and what to pack in your suitcase. Read about Madagascar's nature and wildlife, weather and geography, along with 'Country Quickfacts' compiled by our travel experts. Our globetrotting tips, as well as our visa and health information, will help ensure you're properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip. The only way you could possibly learn more is by embarking on your journey and discovering Madagascar for yourself. Start exploring… book one of our Madagascar tours today!
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