On Mauritius, pineapples, mangoes, and litchis thrive. The fruit ripens directly on the trees and the taste is incredible. Fruit grows everywhere around here. Its abundance has led the locals to come up with flavor combinations unknown to us, such as pineapple with chili or pickled mango.
At the market in Port Louis (but also elsewhere), you will come across stalls where they peel perfectly ripe pineapples for you. Locals also enjoy it with an unconventional combination – with chili. It may seem strange to us, but this combination works. The sweet taste of pineapple is pleasantly enhanced by the spicy taste of chili.
The amount of chili you add to the pineapple is entirely up to you. You can try a small amount and if you like the combination, don’t hesitate to return to the vendor and add more chili. They will appreciate it.
You often come across these vendors selling pickled mango (mango confit) at markets in Mauritius. The mango is pickled while still unripe in a sweet and sour brine, which is made with water, vinegar, sugar, salt, chili, and possibly other spices. Cucumber and other fruits and vegetables are also pickled in this way.
One serving of this delicacy costs 10 MUR, which is approximately 0.20 EUR. The bag contains pineapple, pickled mango, and pickled cucumber. I added only a small amount of chili at first, but after a while I returned to the seller for more, which pleased him very much. Pickled mango and pineapple with chili can also be found at beach stalls (for example in Flic en Flac), but at a higher price.
If you are not familiar with this unconventional delicacy, be sure to give it a try.
