Street food | Page 4 of 7
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 in pairs 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.
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.
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.
Central Market in Port Louis: The Bazaar of the Mauritian Capital
The covered market in the center of Port Louis has been selling fruit, vegetables, spices and fish since 1845 - its ornate cast-iron gates sailed in from Glasgow. The main hall smells of herbs and masala, the side halls belong to meat and fish, and a separate building houses small bistros serving alouda. Saturday is the busiest day, and you only haggle upstairs among the souvenirs.
Victoria Station Market: Street Food in the New Port Louis Terminal
The Victoria Station Market is a market hall inside the Victoria Urban Terminal, a transport hub in the center of Port Louis with buses to the south and west of Mauritius and the Metro Express to Quatre Bornes and Curepipe. Under the same roof as the station you'll find fruit stalls, windows serving dholl puri, roti and gâteaux piments for the road, and a supermarket.
Mine Frit: Mauritian Fried Noodles
Mine frit are thin wheat noodles stir-fried in a wok with meat, vegetables and strips of omelet, seasoned with soy and oyster sauce. Chinese immigrants brought them to Mauritius and the island turned them into its most common dish: they are sold at stalls, in beach bistros and in restaurants. Neighboring Réunion has the same dish under the name sauté de mines.