Dine out in tropical French style in Mauritius

Crossroads of Flavours Culinary Festival 19-26 May 2008

Mauritian chefs have been combining French, Asian and tropical flavours for almost 300 years and a culinary festival in May will celebrate the island’s finest cuisine in some delicious ways.

The festival programme includes interactive cooking classes and cooking demonstrations on beaches. There are guided tours of the fishing villages, orchards and colourful food markets that supply Mauritian chefs with an exotic array of meats, fruits and vegetables. Lunches and dinners will be extended smorgasbords of the finest food in Mauritius.

Special guest Chef, Jean-Luc Rocha Serralheiro, who won last year’s O.F. 2007 (the highest distinction in French haute cuisine), will be joined by award winning chefs from Mauritius. Chefs will compete for trophies and awards announced at the closing ceremony on the 25th May.

The food in Mauritian resorts is today styled by French and French-trained chefs who cater to a large number of French travellers to the island.  So the standards have to be high!

Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, between Africa and Australia, was a French colony for 100 years until 1810 and still retains a lot of its French culture but today the Indian, Chinese, Malay and Creole peoples of the island influence the dishes.

A sumptuous festival, Crossroads of Flavours, celebrates these special strengths of Mauritian cuisine.

Crossroads of Flavours is an exchange of culinary inspiration between professional chefs in Mauritius. Several chefs with international reputations will meet during one week in three five star Naïade resorts, to share their experience and visions.  The Culinary festival will serve up an indulgent week for all gourmet travellers.  It is also a great way to taste the excellent cuisine provided to visitors all year round.

Traditional Creole dinners are also on the menu with a special Creole dinner at the historical plantation mansion, Eureka. Creole food is influenced by African food and mixed with gentle Indian spices and local seafood.

At Beau Rivage in its famous restaurant, Indouchine, French haute cuisine is flavoured with Indian and Chinese touches. The Tamassa restaurant, Playa, has developed a new concept of contemporary tapas with Indian influences.

Breakfasts are a delight in Mauritius. Smorgasbords present an incredible variety of French, continental, and tropical delights. French hams, cheeses and brioches and an array of cooked dishes sit alongside tropical fruit platters, syrups, granolas and juices.

Exotic culinary combinations are everywhere in Mauritius, a country that has British as well as Asian and Creole influences. In Mauritius, afternoon tea is taken with vanilla. White rum is steeped with fruits, herbs and spices. Markets sell tropical fruits and Aryuvedic herbs. And resort restaurants are built overlooking azure seas, white beaches and tropical moons.

Dine out in tropical style!

Contacts

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Website: www.naiaderesorts.com 

Mauritius information: www.tourism-mauritius.mu

MTPA agents in Australia: The Wren Partnership: 03 9685 2600

Air Mauritius operates the direct flights from Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, with connectivity via Virgin Airlines. For travel bookings contact your local travel agent.