It’s spicy, colourful, and varied – the street food of Mauritiuswould put most countries to shame.
The colourful mix of ethnicities – Indian, French, Creole, African, and Chinese – lends unique bursts of flavours that are hard to come by. Add to this amélange of tropical fruits, exotic vegetables, and fresh seafood and you get a cuisine that is hard to resist.
Here a list of the stuff we sampled off street vendors and beach shacks in Mauritius
1) Dhal Puri/Dholl Puri
Individually wrapped Mauritian flatbreads filled with curried yellow split-peas. Served with atchars (pickles) and chutney.
2) Chana Puri
Fritters with a centre of curried yellow split-peas. Pick them up from a street vendor along a beach.
3) MazavarooPaste
A paste made from green chillies, Mazavaroo Paste is served with EVERYTHING from creole curries to chinese noodles in Mauritius – perfect if you like your food with a bit of zing.
4) Pineapples
Try tiny Victorian Pineapples sprinkled with a colourful mix of coarse sea-salt and red chilli flakes. The savoury notes of the salt and the spiciness of the chilli lends the sweet pineapples a complexity of flavour.
5) Samosas
Crunchy, deep fried cones made with filo pastry housing spicy curried potatoes – not much could possibly go wrong, could it?
6) Sugarcane Juice
There is no dearth of vans selling glasses of freshly-squeezed sugarcane juice in Mauritius. We’ve raved about it before, but nothing we say could possibly articulate its ambrosial taste – you need to try it for yourself.
7) Creole Curries
Mauritius is famous for its flavourful sea-food curries and they live up to the hype. The smooth curries still smell of the sea. Perfect with a mound of long-grained rice.
8) Roti Chaud
Warm Indian flatbreads stuffed withGrois Pois (butter bean curry), fresh pickles, & Rougialle (tomato-based sauce), Roti Chaud is the perfect snack for people on the go.
9) Aubergine Pakoras
Fritters made from thin slices of aubergine coated with all-purpose flour. Perfect when served hot on a rainy Mauritian afternoon.
10) Atchars
Atchars (spicy pickled vegetables) are served with rotis, rice, and curries. They are the soul of Mauritian street food and lend it a zesty flavour that is hard to resist. Hit the supermarkets if you want to carry a bottle or two back home.
Did that set your tummy rumbling?? We have the perfect dish to round off the list
Shaved Ice (The Mauritian Way)
Now this isn’t strictly street food, but it deserves an honorary mention for being the world’s most refreshing dessert. Mauritians love serving a variety of fresh fruit of a bed of shaved ice and sugar syrup. Nom nom nom!
Are you in Mauritius for a holiday? Make sure you read our list of Top 10 Things To Do in Mauritius
Looking for a place to stay in Mauritius? Check out our review of one of our favourite hotels in Mauritius
