What the Malagasy are eating?

– Rice

When talking about the Malagasy cuisine, it is impossible not to mention first the basic element: the rice. This cereal is the essence of each dish of which accompaniments, more or less fleshed gravitate around. The “vary” makes its mark deep in Malagasy society. First, through the landscape where nearly three quarters of cultivated land is occupied by rice fields, then with work, parties, meals, it gives rhythm to every day. The Malagasy holds the world record for rice consumption! It consumes about 135 kg per year.
Some typical dishes

– The Romazava

We can say that this is the typical Malagasy dish. Romazava means “clear broth”. This is actually a soup consisting of a few greeneries called “brèdes” and sometimes a little meat that make the accompaniment of a big plate of rice.
In restaurants, the Romazava is more or less improved and enhanced with chicken or pork.

– The Ravintoto

It is a dish made from cassava leaves, pieces of meat (pork or zebu) and sometimes mixed with coconut milk (on the coast). Malagasy prefer especially with greasy pork (attention to cholesterol!)
Vegetables also accompany the rice in the diet of Malagasy. Potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, beans … grow in profusion on the central highlands. Maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams are used as food supplements during the period of austral winter when the rice culture stops.

Other products used in the culinary arts …

– In the Highlands

Legs nymphs (frog legs that can reach the size of a chicken leg), trout, crayfish, foie gras and duck breast. The fruits of temperate countries are also growing off season, such as peaches, apricots, plums, grapes, pears, apples, strawberries

– On the coast

* Seafood: small wild oysters, mussels, lobster reef, mangrove crabs, shrimp, fish and sea urchins.
* Tropical fruits (mango, papaya, passion fruit or granadilla, custard apples, lychees, bananas, etc…).

The list is long as the island is full of treasures.

* Game may be hunted during the season (May to September) including bushpig.
The natural honey with pronounced flavour is collected in bush on wild hives during the dry season.
The many and varied spices (vanilla, cloves, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, etc…) are mainly cultivated throughout the east coast.

 

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