Hakien is a popular street food in Mauritius. It’s a dish similar to spring rolls, probably brought to Mauritius by the Chinese community. Hakien is a savory roll filled with a mixture of finely ground chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. The mixture is fried in a pan and wrapped in rice paper. Before frying in oil, it’s coated with a dough made of flour, water, and oil. Interestingly, the coating process is done twice – the roll is coated, fried, then coated again and fried again. This makes the dough thicker and crunchier.
Hakien tastes best when still warm and can be dipped in chili sauce. Two rolls are enough to satisfy a person. Once you try hakien, you’ll want it again and again. The dough is pleasantly crunchy, the filling is chewy and not dry, and there are many flavors inside.
One hakien at the Nam Wah Snack bistro costs 40 MUR, which is about 0.80 EUR. The dish is so popular that it’s often sold out before 2 PM.
Enjoy!
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Accommodation in Mauritius
I wholeheartedly recommend the Seastar Hotel in Flic en Flac, just a short walk from a beautiful beach. The hotel is new, the breakfasts are great, and you almost always have an amazing hot tub on the roof terrace all to yourself! The last time I stayed here was in December 2022 and I will return again.
