The Essence of..... Seychelles An exploration of the world through food and drink

www.seychelles.com Essence -ial Information UK Tourist Office c/o FirstLink Tourism, Terminal House, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, Victoria SW1 Currency  Rupee Capital Victoria Language English/French Main Airlines Air Seychelles Flying Time from UK 9 hrs 10 mins Visa Not required from UK Health Non malarial, high sunscreen required. Tap water safe but bottled available. Time GMT +4

PROFILE Seychelles is in Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. Seychelles cuisine is highly influenced by the Chinese, French, Indian, African and English customs. The careful blending of spices is a major feature and much use is made of coconut milk and breadfruit. Lobster, octopus, pork and chicken are used more frequently than beef or lamb, which must be imported. Breadfruit, which is used in many Seychelles cuisine adds texture to the dishes. Breadfruit is very much like potatoes but is sweet to taste. The fruits, which are an integral part of Seychelles food are papayas, mangoes, melons, golden apples and limes. Ingredients such as chicken, octopus, lobster are often used in their preparations rather than beef or lamb. The early inhabitants of Seychelles namely the "Creoles'" had their unique Seychelles dishes, which were mainly prepared out of fresh fish. The Indian Ocean is known for turning up a veritable bounty of large and flavourful fish. Tuna and King Fish are among the favourites, and they are often fried or grilled in a garlic-butter sauce. Sometimes, seafood in Seychelles is prepared in a "Cari" fashion, which involves green or red curries. Smaller fish in Seychelles often end up in a fish stew, or they are curried. Curry sauces that are integrated into Seychelles cuisine are sometimes combined with coconut milk, and lemongrass is also a popular ingredient. Octopus is a big delicacy when it comes to food in Seychelles Rice or saffron rice is the standard side dish. The bread that accompanies lots of Seychelles meals is often a simple and soft white bread. The "Chatini" is found very often on the Seychelles food menu. The cold condiment has thinly sliced veggies and fruit that are mixed in a kind of vinegary chutney. Popular delicacies include Daube (a sweet stew), Rougaille (a tomato based sauce), Carii Coco (a coconut milk curry generally served with fish) and gilled fresh fish stuffed with chillies. Meals are washed down with Seybrew, a local lager.