What to Eat in Mauritius: Typical Mauritian Food and Specialties | Page 3 of 5
Kot Ti Baz: Grandma's Bistro with Farata in Flic en Flac
Kot Ti Baz, a tiny bistro on Coastal Road in Flic en Flac, was opened by a grandmother whose grandson kept telling her he was hungry. With one fridge and a gas burner she turns out farata, fried noodles and curry, and a pot of boulettes steams away by the door. Don't look for it on Google Maps - you'll spot it by the sign and the handwritten menu.
Dholl Puri: Mauritian Flatbread Filled with Yellow Split Peas
Dholl puri is a thin flatbread filled with a paste of yellow split peas, brought to Mauritius by Indian indentured laborers after 1834; it's cooked dry here, even though it's named after a deep-fried bread. It's sold by the piece, wrapped in paper, topped with bean curry, rougaille and pickled vegetables. In Port Louis, a street cart puts one together in twenty seconds.
Fruit Confit: Pineapple with Chili and Pickled Mango
Mauritian markets sell fruit in a way no one back home would expect: fresh pineapple gets a dusting of chili and green mango ends up in a vinegar brine with salt and sugar. The snack is called fruit confit, konfi in Creole. They'll mix you a bag for pocket change at the market in Port Louis and down by the beaches; practically the same thing is sold on the sister island of Réunion.
Teokon Farci: Steamed Stuffed Tofu, Mauritian Style
In Mauritius, tofu is just a wrapper. Teokon farci is a piece of tofu spread with a paste of ground fish and dried shrimp, steamed and served in clear chicken broth with scallions - an appetizer from the Chinese bistros and dumpling stalls that the island inherited from Hakka immigrants. What the name means, why the tofu behaves like dough and what the bowl cost in Flic en Flac.
Riz Frit: Mauritian Fried Rice
Riz frit is Mauritian fried rice: day-old cooked rice tossed in a wok with egg, chicken or shrimp, vegetables and soy sauce. Chinese immigrants brought it to the island, and today you'll find it at snack counters, school canteens and restaurants alike. Why it is not named after Canton, how it differs from its relatives and how it tasted in Flic en Flac.
Hakien: The Mauritian Twice-Fried Roll
Hakien is a Mauritian fried roll of chopped chicken or shrimp and vegetables, dipped in a thin batter and fried twice, which gives it a thick, rippled crust. Hakka Chinese brought it to the island and it's named after them; today it's one of the most common street foods in Mauritius.
Ti Kabann: A Beach Stall with Fried Noodles in Flic en Flac
You can eat well in a beach resort - you just have to join the line where the locals stand at noon. Ti Kabann, a beach stall on the road from Flic en Flac to Wolmar, hands boiled and fried noodles out of its window for a handful of rupees. The name means Little Hut and it fits, right down to the last nail; don't look for it on Google Maps, though - the more reliable coordinate is the line.
Piment Farci: Mauritian Stuffed Pepper
Piment farci is a fried snack Mauritius shares with Réunion: a whole, mildly spicy pepper, sliced lengthwise, deseeded and stuffed with spiced meat or tuna and chouchou, dipped in batter and fried golden. It's sold by the piece as a beer-friendly bite.
Gâteaux Piments Salad: Mauritian Fried Split Pea Balls, Second Time on the Table
Gâteaux piments salad is a cold Mauritian salad made from yesterday's fried split pea balls, crumbled in with onion, tomatoes and fresh cilantro and dressed with lemon. The ball itself came to the island with Indian laborers and Réunion has it too, but the salad made from leftovers is a purely Mauritian idea. It only works with balls that have already gone hard.
Fresh Coconut: Water and Meat from a Young Nut
Fresh coconut is the young green fruit of the coconut palm, sold on Mauritian beaches and at markets as both a drink and a meal: the vendor opens it with a machete, you drink the clear water, and then you take the empty nut back for the white meat. The coconut is named after a Portuguese bogeyman, an island covered in palms imports its nuts from Madagascar, and the flesh of the young fruit tastes nothing like desiccated coconut.