Seychellois cuisine explained
Seychellois cuisine is the cuisine of the Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago country consisting of 115 islands. Fish plays a prominent part in country's cuisine because of its location in the Indian Ocean. The Seychelles's cuisine has been influenced by African, British, French, Spanish, Indian and Chinese cuisines.
The use of spices such as ginger, lemongrass, coriander and tamarind are a significant component of Seychellois cuisine. Fresh fish and fruits are sold by street vendors in various places.
Common foods and dishes
Staple foods include fish, seafood and shellfish dishes, often accompanied with rice. Fish dishes are cooked in several ways, such as steamed, grilled, wrapped in banana leaves, baked, salted and smoked. Curry dishes with rice are also a significant aspect of the country's cuisine.
Additional food staples include shark, breadfruit, mangoes and fish.
- Chicken dishes, such as chicken curry and coconut milk
- Coconut curry
- Dhal (lentils)
- Fish curry
- Saffron rice
- Fresh tropical fruits
- Ladob is eaten either as a savory dish or as a dessert. The dessert version usually consists of ripe plantain and sweet potatoes (but may also include cassava, breadfruit or even corosol) boiled with coconut milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla in the form of a pod until the fruit is soft and the sauce is creamy. The savory dish usually includes salted fish, cooked in a similar fashion to the dessert version, with plantain, kasava and breadfruit, but with salt used in place of sugar (and omitting vanilla).
- Shark chutney typically consists of boiled skinned shark, finely mashed, and cooked with squeezed bilenbi juice and lime. It is mixed with onion and spices, and the onion is fried and it is cooked in oil.
- Vegetables
Delicacies and specialty dishes
- Bouyon bred—fish soup, made with greens
- Bourzwa griye—grilled red snapper
- kari bernik
- kasava pudding
- Satini Reken—shark chutney
- Coconut curries
- Fruit bat has been described as a delicacy
- Kat-kat banane—green bananas and fish cooked in coconut milk
- Salad palmis—palm heart salad, prepared with coconut palm
Beverages
Coconut water and fresh juices are some of the beverages in Seychellois cuisine. Alcoholic drinks include the palm wine calou (or kalou), bakka rum and beers produced in the country such as Seybrew and Eku. Wine is obtainable at most Seychelles restaurants.
Food industry
The Indian Ocean Tuna company's processing plant is one of the largest tuna canneries in the world. It is located in Victoria, Seychelles.
See also
