This is a statement which holds true especially when you talk about cultures. It is common to distinguish one culture from another by way of eating habits and cuisines. Let’s take the various eating habits around the world. You will most likely find an Asian to use chopsticks and sit on the floor when eating than a Caucasian. This is because most Caucasians were brought up to use spoon and fork, or even a knife, and sit on chairs when eating. Yet, there are still other cultures that are used to eating using their hands, just like the Filipinos.
In cuisines, if you observe more closely, pizza and pasta are for Italians, breads are for French, rice for Asians, and so on. Although, these things are no longer as distinct as they used to be, with fusion cooking becoming very popular, still these staple foods set a culture apart from the rest. Further, there are some cultures who would not eat pork, while others would devour on it almost every day. Chinese, for instance, would eat snakes, while others would find this as something beyond them.
If you come to think of it, these increases diversity among cultures. However, these things too make each culture unique and interesting. In fact, many people who travel to different places would not miss out on the food that is offered by a particular place. This is one way a culture unfolds itself to those who want to experience it.
An example would be the Mauritian culture. Since Mauritius island is home to various cultures, the food here are also representative of such cultures. They have foods that are of Indian, Creole, French, Chinese, English, and Mauritian origin. Thus, dining in Mauritius would be such a delectable experience.
Curry is the traditional base of Mauritian cuisine. This was influenced by the Indians who once ruled over the Island. Rice and the use of spices in many Mauritian dishes are still of Indian influence.
There are a lot of specialties you should try when you visit Mauritius. Among others are venison (deer meat), camarons or prawns in hot sauces, octopus, and dholl purri (wheat pancakes stuffed with ground peas and served with curry). You could also try their biryani which is mostly of rice and meat. There are also foods sold by the streets. These are samosas, rogai, and many others. For dessert, they have gateaux piments or chili cakes, Indian sweets like gulab jamun and rasgoola. For your drinks, you can go for rum, beer, alouda (almond-flavored ice milk drink), or fresh coconut milk.
You can sample these foods in most hotels (small restaurants) and restaurants in the island. You can also join the locals during daytime by the streets. You will find a lot of trolleys that carry and serve Chinese foods. Also, many Indian specialties are served by the streets. Eating here is cheaper and you will get value for your money as the foods are tasty. However, you will have to be careful when you eat in these areas as it is not as clean as in indoor restaurants. If you prefer, you can also opt for European take out.
There are many restaurants around that serve different cuisines. You will just have to explore which would suit your fancy. Part of discovering and understanding Mauritian culture is to get a taste of the varied fares available.