Malagasy and African cuisines’ contributions to Mauritian cuisine have stayed undocumented as the Malagasy and African slaves who were forcibly taken to the island had no say in the foods available to them. The history of Malagasy and African cuisines is not well documented either. The Malagasy and African slaves had to make do with what was available to them. They prepared foods in accordance with the preference of their masters. A good description of the foods consumed by the slave workforce and others under British occupation is contained in an official report written by Charles Telfair, dated Jan 15, 1830 (Some Account of the State of Slavery at Mauritius since the British Occupation in 1810):
“Manioc and other root crops and grains which possess farinaceous qualities, such as potatoes, yams, cambars and sweet potatoes were generally given to the well behaved slaves. Breakfast would consist of a full meal chosen from boiled rice, Indian corn, wheaten bread (called makacthia), manioc cakes, roasted yams, sweet potatoes, cambar of Java or potatoes. Lunch and dinner would be boiled haricots, lentils, pois du cap, beetroot, parsnips, eggplant or dhal, with either manioc, potatoes, yams, cambars or sweet potatoes, accompanied with a soup. A glass of rum would also be allowed with dinner. On Sundays, dinner would include as treats some of the following: dried or salt beef, dried fish, fresh beef, salt pork, fresh pork, dried dates, raw, baked or boiled fruits, molasses, soup made from some of the following ingredients: brédes martin, turnips, cabbage, carrots, lettuces, eggplant, chilli, tomatoes, leeks, garlic, chives, spinach, parsley, hog’s lard or ghee. Salads would also be served to the well behaved slaves consisting of some of the following ingredients: radishes, onions, leeks, lettuces, cucumbers, celery, watercresses, sorrel or endives, prepared with vinegar and sugar”.

You can relate the aforementioned ingredients with the traditional day to day foods consumed by Mauritians today. The culinary landscape for Mauritian Cuisine originated from way back in the 1830’s. Other dishes like Italian pasta were introduced by passing sailors and travellers on ships, and other immigrants who stopped and settled in Mauritius. The well known Mauritian Cimiotti family has Italian heritage. After the Second World War, many expatriates from Europe were sent to Mauritius and they also introduced their cuisines to others. Expatriate soldiers from the colonising countries, who never returned home, adopted Mauritius as their home. Similarly, English expatriate soldiers, civil servants and traders in India also resettled to Mauritius when changes in the administration of East India Company took place and it was no longer safe for them to stay there. One of my ancestors Joseph Nunn was born to an English trader who moved from the Bengal region in India to Mauritius. They also made their contribution to Mauritian cuisine.

An English lady visiting Mauritius in 1830 wrote the following:
“The Port Louis bazaar, or market, is a very good one, abundantly supplied with everything; the meat I think quite equal to that in England; European and tropical vegetables and fruits abound there ; peaches and pine-apples, in particular, are very plentiful and very cheap, although certainly inferior in excellence to those raised in this country. The finest fruit in the Island, in my estimation, is the litchi; its external aspect is not at all inviting, as it is covered with a rough, coarse, dusky red skin, but, on that being pulled off, discovers within a snow white pulpy substance, containing a most delicious juice; the fruit has then much the appearance of a hard boiled egg, and is nearly of that size and shape; its flavour is exquisite, and quite unlike that of any other fruit I ever tasted.”

The successive settlement in Mauritius by the Dutch, French and British, brought into the island people and products from very many diverse places, including South America, France, England, Africa, India, China and to a lesser extent other countries such as Italy, Germany and Portugal. These people carried with them their dietary habits and introduced foods from their motherlands and other places. The current Mauritian cuisine has evolved from such settlement that reconciled cultural habits with the availability of products. In particular, inhabitants from very different culinary backgrounds learned from each other how to use available products to feed themselves, when supplies were low and they had to survive droughts, cyclones and crop failures. That was the first blueprint for the original Mauritian cuisine that was to evolve through the colonial settlement periods and after.

The true roots of Mauritian Creole cooking come from traditional French foods influenced by Malagasy and African cuisines, very similar to New Orleans’ Creole cuisine. This description of New Orleans’ cuisine by Elizabeth M. Williams in ‘New Orleans A Food Biography 2013’, could well be applicable to Mauritian cuisine:
“All of the peoples who lived or settled in New Orleans, whether free or enslaved, brought with them their sense of identity as defined by food. Clinging to old foodways is a common experience of immigrants everywhere. And all of the peoples contributed to what has become the cuisine of the city. The city was the crucible filled with all those component cuisines and with raw ingredients. The mixture was transformed into a unique cuisine, connected to its component parts, but distinctly different from them.”

The makeup of traditional Mauritian cuisine comprises fresh vegetables purchased on a weekly trip to the market, pork or beef, chicken in various cuts, pulses such as red or black lentils, beans, fish and other seafoods such as green prawns and delicacies such as salted fish, dried octopus, black pudding, deli quality sausages. Sometimes, pasta dishes, French dishes such as gratins, Chinese fried rice or noodles would be prepared as special treats. Curries can be prepared with almost every ingredient available, seasoned with various blends of spices and herbs. Some curries are made solely with spices and herbs, others include crushed tomatoes to provide thicker curry sauces. The Mauritian rougaille whose main ingredients include crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger with herbs, is similar to the curries, in that it can be made with a wide range of ingredients. The Mauritian bouillon brèdes, made with greens, is a most popular and cheap fallback dish that can be prepared quickly and eaten with a rougaille or pickle on rice.

Of special significance to Mauritians are pre-dinner or “with drinks” snacks, referred to as gajacks. This habit has been picked up by many Australians who enjoy Mauritian foods. The true story is told of an Aussie who has a Mauritian partner. At his next Aussie family get-together, drinks were being served with no gajacks. He queried his mother suggesting that it would be appropriate for gajacks to be served, as he was feeling peckish. His mother responded and said: “What are you talking about! – Never heard the word before.” He had to explain that Mauritian customs demanded that snacks referred to as gajacks be served before dinner.

The origin of the name gajack (gajak in India) is probably Indian, adopted by Mauritians to refer to snacky foods. Gajak is a dry sweet dessert found in northern India, where it is most commonly consumed in the winter months. It is made from sesame and sugar. Gajak is also the name given to a Punjab sweet, prepared with different dry fruits, it is rich in almonds, peanuts, walnuts and cashew nuts. These foods can also be used as snacks between meals. In Mauritius, the name gajack is used for snacks prepared from all the different cuisines. In French, gajacks are also called “amuse gueles” or in Creole to something that “arrange la bouche”. The Chinese equivalent would be “dim sums”.

Other important components in Mauritian cuisine are the numerous snack foods and cakes that are served from street vendors and stalls. These snacks and cakes originate from across the whole spectrum of Mauritian cuisine. The most popular being the famous dhal puri (delicate pancakes) with ground dhal inside with various sauces and pickles. Many restaurants sell simple dishes like plain noodles (referred as mines touni) with some seasoning and very few ingredients that constitute a cheap and quick lunch.

Garlic, ginger and onions are used in the preparation of almost every Mauritian dish and are consumed on a daily basis by most Mauritians. The health benefits in their consumption are widely known and it is no wonder that Mauritians benefit from their consumption.

In summary, Mauritian cuisine cuts across French, African, Malagasy, English, Indian, Tamil, Telegu, Muslim and Chinese cuisines, picking up a very diverse combination of fresh ingredients with an array of fresh herbs and spices. The use of these quality products contributes considerably to the healthiness of Mauritian Cuisine.

Madeleine Philippe at an interview with the Melbourne Mauritian Community radio station 3ZZZ, was asked: “In all your cooking, what would you consider to be the most important ingredient?” She answered without hesitation:
“The love that you put in your cooking. If you cook with love, your dishes will undoubtedly be nice because of the care and attention to detail that you would put in your food preparation.”