eastern-africa
Explore 48 foods connected to Seychelles, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
Start with Saffron Rice →
The local shortlist
11 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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The full directory
48 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Seychelles
Rice cooked with saffron (turmeric) giving it a golden colour; a staple accompaniment to Seychellois curries; the saffron (turmeric in local usage) adds both colour and a subtle earthy flavour; the base of nearly every Creole meal.
Seychelles
Palm heart salad — the tender inner core of coconut palm, sliced and dressed with ginger-lime vinaigrette; labour-intensive to prepare as the palm tree must be felled; a Seychellois specialty often served alongside octopus curry; the palm heart has a delicate, artichoke-like flavour.
Seychelles
Generic Seychellois chutney made from various fruits and vegetables — green papaya, mango, tomato, or eggplant; cooked with vinegar, sugar, and spices; served as a condiment alongside curries and grilled fish; the Creole adaptation of Indian chutney traditions.
Seychelles
Satinin Rekin
Boiled skinned shark, finely mashed and cooked with squeezed bilimbi juice and lime, mixed with sautéed onion, pepper, salt, and turmeric; a distinctive sour taste from the bilimbi; a unique Seychellois dish typically served with rice, lentils, and shredded green papaya.
Seychelles
Seychelles' national beer, a lager produced locally; the most popular beer on the islands; found at every bar, restaurant, and shop; a refreshing lager for the tropical climate; the default beer to drink with Creole food.
Seychelles
Cinnamon grown wild in Seychelles; both the bark and leaves are used in cooking; curry-pili (curry leaves) and cinnamon still grow wild — you can stop alongside the road and find it easily; a key spice in Seychellois curries and stews; the islands' cinnamon is prized for its quality.
Seychelles
Sweet potatoes grown in Seychelles; used in sweet ladob alongside plantains; boiled with coconut milk, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla; a key ingredient in the islands' signature dessert; grown in backyard gardens across the archipelago.
Seychelles
Vanilla grown in Seychelles; used in ladob, daube, and other desserts; the vanilla pod is simmered in coconut milk to infuse its flavour; a key flavouring in Seychellois sweet dishes; the islands' tropical climate is ideal for vanilla cultivation.
Seychelles
Salad Pwason Fimen
Flaked smoked tuna or marlin mixed with green peppers, fresh tomatoes, and onions, dressed with lime; served cold; a refreshing Seychellois salad best from roadside stalls near fish markets; perfect on hot days.
Seychelles
Sausages cooked in a tomato and onion sauce with garlic, spices, and lentils; a Creole adaptation of the French/Mauritian rougail; a hearty, comforting dish typically served with rice; a popular Seychellois family meal.
Seychelles
Seychelles' premier commercial rum, distilled at the Takamaka rum distillery at La Plaine St Andre; made from local sugarcane; the distillery keeps experimenting with contemporary Creole twists; available in several expressions from white to aged; a symbol of modern Seychellois craft.
Mauritius
Satini pomme d'amour
Raw tomato crushed with onion, coriander, chilli and lime into a loose relish that goes beside almost every Creole plate.