Characteristic products and eating habits
Although Mahoran cuisine makes use of a wide range of ingredients, the rice-banana-manioc trio is the staple that makes up the majority of meals. Fish, plantains, white rice and steamed or fried manioc are the main ingredients. Meat, which is more expensive, is eaten less frequently. Brèdes are a side dish in their own right. This rather vague term actually covers all the leafy vegetables eaten in the region (Reunion, Madagascar, Seychelles, etc.). Examples include manioc, mafane, nightshade, songe, mourongue, sweet potato, pumpkin, Chinese cabbage and so on. In rural areas, they are at the heart of meals.
Surrounded by the fishy waters of the Indian Ocean, Mayotte makes generous use of fish and seafood. Grouper, sea bream, parrot fish, tuna and many types of crustaceans: crab, lobster, shrimp, etc., are all available. Meat remains popular, although more expensive and therefore generally reserved for special occasions. Chicken, zebu and goat are the main meats eaten. Because of Islam, pork is virtually impossible to find on the island outside the major hotels. Bushmeat remains a traditionally popular product. One example is the sea turtle, which, despite national protection, suffers from poaching. The roussette - a species of bat - and the tenrec, a kind of local hedgehog, are sometimes cooked, although these species are also protected. For the sake of the environment, please avoid this type of food.
Mahoran cuisine employs a wealth of spices: cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and fenugreek are all used to make massalé, the region's signature blend. Dishes are generally accompanied by condiments, the most common being putu, a very hot sauce made from red or green chili pepper, tomato, onion and lemon, served at every meal to enhance the taste of the dishes. Sensitive palates are advised to abstain. Mayotte is also famous for its Bandrélé salt, produced in the south-west of the island.
Coconut is also an important food in the region, and the coconut tree has many uses. The kernel can be eaten fresh or dried (copra) to extract oil. Milk, not to be confused with refreshing coconut water, is obtained by grating and pressing the flesh. Rich in minerals and proteins, it is used in a wide range of dishes, from raw fish to ice cream, cakes and nougat. Finally, the shell is most often used as a container. By cutting the inflorescence, we obtain a sap that is used to make alcoholic beverages. Finally, the terminal bud is eaten fresh. Finely chopped, it resembles the heart of a fresh palm kernel in a coconut coleslaw. The coconut palm can produce up to 60 nuts a year. Let's finish off with the fruit, which is obviously plentiful on this generous island, especially during the rainy season. Mangoes, bananas, lychees, soursops, cinnamon apples, guavas, pineapples and more.
When it comes to eating out, it's impossible to miss what the Mahorais call "mamas brochettis". These cooks serve up delicious zebu kebabs grilled on the spot, accompanied by fried bananas and maniocs, at every street corner in the villages. Unfortunately, they're on borrowed time with departmentalization, which would impose sanitary standards that would doom them. In winter, they offer grilled corn.
Picnics on the beach (voulé) are also an excellent opportunity to meet the local population and enjoy delicious kebabs or grilled fish. In Mayotte, some service providers can organize your picnic for the day, during sea outings or hikes in Sasilé. Otherwise, local specialities and snacks can be found in bakeries and markets, not forgetting more traditional snacks such as pizzas and sandwiches.
There are many restaurants serving French or Mahoran cuisine. They operate thanks to tourism and, above all, to the presence of many civil servants from mainland France. Numerous in Petite-Terre and Mamoudzou, they become less so as you move away from the city. Generally speaking, the big hotels often also have the best restaurants.
The classics of Mauritian cuisine
Rice, vegetables and starches play an important role in local gastronomy. In Mayotte, brèdes are often eaten in the evening, to aid digestion and transit. On this island, they are also known as féliki. For example: brède manioc/féliki mhoguo, brède patate douce/féliki batata or brède moringa/féliki mvoungué. Mataba consists of manioc brèdes simmered in coconut milk. It takes a long time to prepare, as the brèdes have to be pounded with a mortar and pestle. This dish is therefore usually served on ceremonial occasions, but rarely on the daily menu. It resembles our creamed spinach, only more easily digestible. Romazava is the national dish of Madagascar, but is also cooked in Mayotte and the Comoros. It's a meat stew in which mafane brèdes have been simmered, topped with zebu or beef - sometimes chicken or fish - flavored with various condiments: onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, etc.
Matsidza is rice boiled in water or coconut milk. A true staple dish, it is generally served for large meals, especially on important occasions. Curd is added when it is prepared for children. It is an absolute must for ceremonies such as circumcision, debbah, maoulida, the Big Wedding and village mourning. Pilao is also a festive rice-based dish with chunks of meat and spices such as cardamom, cloves, pepper and cinnamon. The name comes from the Turkish pilav or Persian polow, and refers to the technique of cooking rice by evaporation, imported into the region by Arab, Persian and Ottoman merchants. It's a prestigious and complete dish, sometimes served in local restaurants.
Kakamoku is a fish, tomato, lemon and chili-based soup, much eaten during Ramadan or on special occasions. The Mahorais prefer red sea bream or snapper. The head of the fish is said to be the most prized and tasty part. Kangué is a dish based on beef and onion, simmered with the natural juices of the meat, without adding any water, until the meat melts. Finally, mtsolola is a stew of plantain, manioc, beef or chicken, or sometimes fish, garnished with tomato and lemon. Seafood lovers will delight in pwedza putu, octopus simmered in a rich chilli sauce.
The term firiri applies to fried foods such as bananas and manioc, but also to meat, as in firiri mabawa, chicken wings marinated with onion and salt, then deep-fried. The expression bata-bata refers to food cooked in salt water. It applies to several products, but generally refers to green bananas, cassava or breadfruit. Green bananas are used here as vegetables. There are over thirty different banana trees on the island, including a dozen bananas for cooking. Not to be confused with the classic banana, a fruit that is little used in the Mahoran diet.
Tchari is the local term for what the Réunionese call "achards". These spicy vegetable or fruit mixtures are preserved in a vinegar brine. Green beans, cabbage, carrot, lemon and mango form the basis of many tchari recipes. In Mayotte, there's also a very popular variant based on tomatoes or green papaya with tamarind, cooked with onions, pepper and cumin. Tchari ya drimou is prepared with lemon slices and chili pepper. And don't forget rougail, a raw mixture of tomato, onion and chilli.
Desserts and drinks
There are very few traditional Mauritian desserts. However, there is the makarara, a festive cake made from flour and coconut milk for various ceremonies. The dough is rolled out and then cooked in hot oil on a frying pan, taking care to fold the dough into numerous rolls. Haloua is a type of nougat often containing dried fruit, named after the Indian halwa. Otherwise, of course, you can feast on the delicious tropical fruits that abound on the island.
Alcohol is not forbidden in principle, although according to the precepts of the Koran, Muslims are not allowed to consume it. Moderation is generally the rule. In Mayotte, you'll find French, Belgian or European beers, such as 1664 or Heineken, or Castel imported from South Africa, and you can even ask for a draught in some bars.
Most other alcoholic beverages are on sale in stores: whiskies, pastis, rums and vodkas. Some bars also serve rhum arrangé, a Reunion-style rum that is usually left to macerate with tropical fruit, vanilla or other spices. The choice of wines is a little more limited, and prices are quite high. Nevertheless, all restaurants worthy of the name will offer mainly French or even South African wines to accompany their dishes. Some establishments even have cellars of quite respectable quality.
