Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Malagasy Cuisine
Food is taken seriously in Madagascar, where French, Chinese and Indian influences have
blended with local eating traditions into an exciting and often mouth-watering cuisine. Re-
gional variations are many, with a variety of fruit, vegetables and seafood dictating local
tastes and recipes.
WHERE TO EAT
What you eat in Madagascar will largely depend on
where
you eat.
Hotelys
or
gargotes
are small, informal restaurants found in every city and town; they are
cheap and serve no-frills, typical Malagasy fare such as
romazava
(beef and ve-
getable stew),
poulet sauce
or grilled fish, with a mountain of rice for bulk. The
quality ranges from rough to delicious. The tastier Malagasy food is often served
in private homes, and what better excuse to make friends with the locals!
Restaurants, which range from modest to top-end establishments, serve various
types of cuisines, including fancier versions of Malagasy standards. Quality is in-
variably good, sometimes outstanding. Many restaurants offer a
menu du jour
(three-course set menu), or a
plat du jour
(daily special), which are generally
good value. Prices for these are usually around Ar15,000 to Ar25,000. For à la
carte menus, the average price of a main course is Ar10,000 to Ar15,000.
Malagasy Classics
EatingricethreetimesadayissoingrainedinMalagasyculturethatpeoplesometimesclaim
they can't sleep if they haven't eaten rice that day. In fact, the verb 'to eat' in Malagasy
,
mihinam-bary
, literally means 'to eat rice'.
The growth of a rice plant is described in Malagasy using the same words
as those for a woman becoming pregnant and giving birth.
Riceiseatenonitsownforbreakfast,inporridgeform;forlunchanddinneritisgenerally
accompanied by a helping of meat, such as
hen'omby
(boiled zebu),
hen'ankisoa
(pork),
hen'akoho
(chicken or duck) or
hen'andrano
(fish). Common preparations include
ravitoto
(stew - usually beef or pork - with manioc greens and coconut),
sauce coco
(a delicious
coconut curry, usually with chicken, fish or seafood) and the nondescript
sauce
(generally a
tomato-based affair; served with anything from chicken to fish).
To keep things interesting, the Malagasies have developed an arsenal of aromatic condi-
ments, such as
sakay
(a red-hot pepper paste with ginger and garlic),
pimente verde
(a fiery
