Spices and rums: a Mauritian story

Mauritius has no single «original» cuisine: it has legacies. Indian workers brought massalé and curries, Africans the rougail and grilling, Chinese the stir-fries and broths, the French technique and desserts. The result is a unique Creole cuisine, spiced without being brutal.

On the Les Marmites du Monde menu that history reads dish by dish: a curry, a vindaye, a rougail and a mine frite come from different worlds yet share one table.

Mauritian massalé is not an Indian curry: the spices are toasted and often ground the same day, giving a rounder, less fiery aroma. Turmeric colours, cumin gives structure, coriander lightens, cinnamon and clove add length.

Add the island's essentials: curry leaves (caripoulé), ginger, garlic, chilli used with measure, and Mauritian vanilla for desserts.

Sugar cane shaped the Mauritian landscape, and rum is its direct heir. Agricultural rum from fresh cane juice, rounder molasses rum, cask-aged expressions: each tells of a region and a method.

The most convivial tradition remains arranged rum, macerated with vanilla, pineapple, lychee or spices. Served at the end of a meal, it keeps the table going better than any dessert.

With a well-spiced curry, a dry fruity white works better than a heavy red; with Creole grilled fish, a fresh wine stands up to the chilli. To finish, an aged or arranged rum sits naturally with vanilla desserts.

The simplest approach is to ask in the dining room: every suggestion follows the dish of the day. Book your table and taste this homemade Creole cooking.