Mahorais Cuisine

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Overview of Mahorais Cuisine History
Mayotte is an independent French island which is about the size of Washington. It is composed of three islands: Grand Terre, Petit Terre, and the rock of Dzaoudzi, and it is the oldest of the islands, being circled by coral reefs, which makes it famous for sailing, fishing and diving. The local cuisine of Mayotte has been influenced by the Indian, Arabic, French, and African cuisines. Every meat or rice meal is considered to be complete only if it contains spices like coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmegs, or cloves. Mayotte can be transformed into a gourmet heaven if you add vegetables to all the spices. The cuisine of Mayotte has been also influenced by Portuguese colonization. Regarding the French influence, it can be stated that it brought beneficial results on the cuisine of the island.

Cuisines of Mayotte


The cuisine of Mayotte contains spices like nutmegs, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. In Mayotte the basic meals are those containing meat and rice, but a lot of seafood is also cooked in this island. Exotic dishes consist of freshly caught fish, crab and calamari, which can be prepared together or separately. A special attention is given to the way in which meals are prepared and served. Moreover, usually alcohol is forbidden in this region, but this does not mean that people are so strict as in many other countries. A typical meal will always include different combinations based on meat and rice, enhanced with vanilla, cloves, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg and cinnamon. In Mayotte people also use to eat fish and seafood, such as Grouper, Tuna and Octopus, but they can replace them with other meat dishes based on Chicken, goat or mutton. Some of the most famous crops are sorghum, millet, and maze. As for soups and stews, people from Mayotte love bean soup and Squash soup. They also prepare and eat meat and fish, and shellfish like prawns and shrimps.

Preparation Methods for Mahorais Cooking
As far as the cuisine of Mayotte is concerned, it uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbours and developed from their own traditional dishes. As there are no specific or unique preparation methods for cooking in Mayotte, we should mention that every detail is important in the cuisine of Mayotte. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential - either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. A wide diversity of vegetables and cereals can be found in Mayotte, a fact that is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish plays an important role, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. A special cooking method is used in preparing each traditional dish, which is more or less general in all the regions belonging to Mayotte. Meat is one of the main elements of most dishes from Mayotte and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Special Equipment for Mahorais Cooking
The cuisine of Mayotte needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated regional dishes. Special equipment includes cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers & portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories. Insulated food carriers are generally required if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Some of the most important items needed when cooking food in Mayotte are: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal".

Mahorais Food Traditions and Festivals
Most of the festivals of Mayotte derive from many different cultures; such festivals require different methods of food preparation and they include Lamb, raisins, almonds, honey, spices, as well as different meat and rice dishes. On Christmas, people from Mayotte have roasted Beef or goat, but special guests are generally welcome with Chicken dishes. As a matter of fact, every culture has its unique method of cooking Chicken, and one of the classic ways of preparing Chicken in Mayotte is to stew it in a Peanut and tomato sauce. Nevertheless, Chicken marinated in an onion-mustard mixture proves to be one of the most delicious meat dishes.

People in Mahorais Food

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Most of the chefs from Mayotte use the basic ingredients and cooking method for traditional dishes in a creative way, generating original and delicious food variations. Local chefs definitely prepare traditional dishes with a real passion and they enjoy presenting them to foreigners who have never tasted them before. If they are cooking dishes that go back in time for centuries or brand new, modern dishes, the chefs from Mayotte are really proud of their work, and this is reflected in the unforgettable taste of their cooking.