Mauritius Food and Drink

Food

Mauritian cuisine is a melting pot of the various cultures living on the island. The local cuisine originates from three different continents and incorporates Indian, Chinese, Creole and European influences. Common ingredients include tomatoes, ginger, garlic, onions and chilies, fresh fruit and seafood. Spices play a major role in many dishes and preferred spices include saffron, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Mauritian chefs are known for “savoir-faire”, using traditional and local ingredients to create modern dishes.

Popular dishes include:

Dholl purri: These are wheat pancakes that are stuffed with dholl (split peas) and served with curry and tomato sauce.

Millionaire’s Salad: This dish fully takes advantage of the vast array of seafood that Mauritius has to offer. It incorporates oysters, shrimp, crayfish, crabs and Rosenbergii prawns all served with “sauce rouge” and the heart of a palm tree.

Gateau Piment: These chili cakes are available throughout the island from street vendors, sold in small paper bags. The cakes are made with split peas (dholl), and contain red or green chilies, coriander, onions and cumin. They are shaped into balls and are deep fried until golden brown. Gateau Piment is popular snack food.

Rougaille: This is a Creole-styled tomato dish made with onions, chillies, garlic and spices. Once cooked, many different foods and flavours can be added including peas, soya, fish, meats and even gateau piment. Rougaille is a favourite at weddings and other special events and is often served as an accompaniment to curry.

Fruit Salad: In Mauritius, fresh fruit is a staple of the diet. Fruit salad made with many different fruits like apples, oranges, guava, lychees, mangoes and pineapples amongst others is a favourite dessert.

Drink

The people of Mauritius produce their own cane rum. A cocktail using this rum is served with coconut water and a dash of lime. Local beer includes Phoenix while the French Black Eagle Beer is also popular. Sodas and fresh fruit juices are widely available, however, a favourite drink amongst the locals is Alouda, a milk drink prepared with basil seeds.

Things to know:

When tipping, 10% is the standard.

Drinking age:

18

Mauritius 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 Mauritius.

Learn about the history and culture of Mauritius, the must-try food and drink, and what to pack in your suitcase. Read about Mauritius'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 Mauritius for yourself. Start exploring… book one of our Mauritius vacations today!

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