The cuisine of Mauritius reflects the islandâÂÂs tropical environment and its long history of cultural diversity. Mauritian food traditions incorporate elements of African cuisine, Chinese cuisine, European cuisineâÂÂparticularly French cuisineâÂÂand Indian cuisine, especially Bhojpuri cuisine, reflecting the various groups that settled on the island.
Dishes and culinary customs developed through the interactions of different groups on the island, including those of French settlers, African slaves, Indian indentured labourers, and Chinese migrants in the 19th century. Over time, these communities incorporated and adapted each other's food practices, contributing to the formation of Mauritian cuisine.
Some dishes are widely consumed across ethnic groups, while others remain associated with particular communities for cultural or historical reasons. Regional and community-based culinary traditions include Indo-Mauritian cuisine, Creole cuisine, Sino-Mauritian cuisine, and Franco-Mauritian cuisine.
The most common vegetables used in Mauritian cuisine are tomatoes, onions, (okra), brinjal (eggplant), (chayote), (garlic), and (chillies). Rice and seafood, including salted fish, smoked blue marlin, shrimp, octopus, prawns, and crayfish (called camaron) are also staple ingredients used in Mauritian cuisine.
Spices such as chili peppers, cardamom, and cloves are widespread in Mauritian cuisine.
Rice is a staple food in Mauritius. It is eaten fried, boiled, or cooked as part of dishes made of vegetables, meat, and seafood.
Chinese noodles (fried or boiled), (fried rice), , (fish balls, chayote and other vegetables, and meatballs in broth), Sino-Mauritian spring rolls, chop suey, , or (biryani), served with big pea curry and tomato sauce, roti served with tomato sauce and pickles, curry, and (thali) are common Mauritian dishes. Another well-known dish is or , a variant of vindaloo made with a mixture of vinegar, mustard seeds, and turmeric.
Mauritius is known for its sauces and curries, which are typically served with meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. Other common preparations are chutney, achaar, and pickles. Mauritian curries typically do not contain coconut milk, commonly use European herbs (such as thyme), and use a wide variety of meat (such as duck) and seafood (such as octopus). or is a tomato sauce cooked with onions, garlic, chillies, ginger, and a variety of spices, typically eaten with fish, meat, and vegetables. Mauritian versions of curry, chutney, rougail, and pickles differ considerably from the original Indian recipes.
During the Dutch period (1598-1710 AD), sugarcane from Java was first introduced to the island. At the time, sugarcane was mainly cultivated for the production of arrack, a precursor to rum. Cane sugar was not produced until 60 years later.
In 1639, deer from Java were brought to Mauritius by the Dutch governor, Adrian Van Der Stel, as livestock. Following a cyclone, the deer broke free and returned to the wild.
Mauritius has had strong cultural ties with France as a result of its colonial past and was deeply influenced by the French people's . French hunting traditions have also influenced Mauritian cuisine in the use of venison and wild boar, which are typically served on domains or estates, restaurants and hotels. As years passed by, some have been adapted to the more exotic ingredients of the island to confer some unique flavor. French influences in Mauritian cuisine can be found in the consumption of rougail (light stew) scented with thyme, daube (chicken or beef stew), croissants, baguette, bouillon, salade de thon, ' and coq au vin served with good wine. Many forms of French desserts and cakes were influenced by the Franco-Mauritians and can also be found in France, such as tarts. French tarts and milk coffee are well-liked by Franco-Mauritians.
The liking for afternoon tea in Mauritius is an influence from the British who took over the island in 1810.
Sino-Mauritian cuisine includes both Chinese cuisine (transmitted from their ancestors and recently learnt through journeys to China) and localization of Chinese cuisine. Sino-Mauritian cuisine typically consist of fried vegetables, oyster sauce, fried rice, meat, and fish.
The 19th century saw the arrival of Chinese migrants, who came mostly from the southeastern part of China; these Chinese migrants were mainly Cantonese from Guandong, Hakka from Meixian, and Chinese people from Fujian. Chinese migrants mainly lived in harmony in the Chinatown in the capital of Port Louis and shared their culture with other communities. They are largely credited for making noodles, both steamed and fried, and fried rice popular. Sino-Mauritians also follow or have maintained some Chinese food traditions and customs, such as the tradition of Chinese red eggs, which are shared with family members. It is customary for them to eat fried noodles during birthday celebrations.
Between the 20th and 21st centuries, some Sino-Mauritians returned to China to learn new culinary dishes and returned to Mauritius, introducing new dishes in their restaurants in Mauritius. In the 21st century, Sino-Mauritians, who resided overseas (e.g., in China, Taiwan) for a few years before returning to Mauritius, also introduced new Chinese food and drink culture in Mauritius. For example, bubble tea drinking culture was introduced by Fabrice Lee, a Sino-Mauritian, who lived in Taiwan for 8 years before returning to Mauritius. The first bubble tea shop in Mauritius opened in late 2012; since then, there have been bubble tea shops in most shopping malls on the island.
Sino-Mauritian festival foods
Chinese and other Asian restaurants are present all around the island and offer a variety of chicken, squid, beef and fish dishes, most typically prepared in black bean sauce or oyster sauce. Mauritian families often consider a dinner at an Asian restaurant to be a treat.
Following the abolition of slavery, Indian workers who migrated to Mauritius during the 19th century brought their cuisine with them. These indentured labourers came from different parts of India with varying culinary traditions. Traces of both northern and southern Indian cuisine can be found in Mauritius. As they are the largest ethnic group in Mauritius, they are largely credited for making flour and rice the staple dish of the island.
Indo-Mauritian cuisine uses common ingredients, such as dals, to accompany the dishes, and an extensive array of spices such as saffron, cinnamon, cardamon, and cloves.
Mauritian Creole dishes typically contain seafood, pulses, beans, corn and tapioca.
François Mahé de Labourdonnais was the first person to support the development of rum industry in Mauritius. When Mauritius became a British colony, the plantation economy was mainly sugar cane. It was Dr. Pierre Charles François Harel who, in the 1850s, initially proposed the concept of local distillation of rum in Mauritius. Mauritius today houses four distilleries (Grays, Medine, Chamarel and St Aubin) and is in the process of opening an additional three.
The tea plant was introduced in Mauritius in 1760 by a French priest, Father Galloys. In 1770, Pierre Poivre planted tea plants on a large scale. However, it was only in the 19th century under British rule that commercial tea cultivation was encouraged by Robert Farquhar, the Governor of Mauritius, but this only lasted during his governance. Sir John Pope Hennessy, the 15th Governor of Mauritius, later revived local interest in tea cultivation and created tea plantations at Nouvelle France and at Chamarel.