There are many ways of making the most of summer sunshine. One of them involves getting your teeth into some of the splendidly colourful and juicy tropical fruits which turn Mauritius into a big orchard come November.
Maybe fruits aren’t your thing. We’re convinced, however, that you’ll be a different person once you’ve tasted the bounty of delicious fruits Mauritius is blessed with at the end of the year.
First up, the pineapple. With its unmistakable air of royalty, it is many Mauritians’ go to fruit come the summer. Its acidic yet sweet taste and its sun-like yellow flesh stand out from the crowd. For a bit of punch at breakfast or as a low-calorie dessert at lunch, you just cannot go wrong with the pineapple.
If the pineapple is eccentric royalty, the coconut is working class handy. Locals know that when the summer sun becomes scorching, coconut water is as refreshing a remedy as you will find. As a bonus, you also get to eat the deliciously tender flesh straight from the coconut. You’ll find them year-round at prices so cheap you’ll feel guilty about it. If you’re on the coast, just keep an eye out for coconut sellers on tricycles. Yes, tricycles!
Mangoes, we can assume, are a known commodity. The fleshy fruits are yellow to orange in colour when ripe. Locals also like them while they are still mostly green, sprinkled with a mixture of salt and red chili powder. A number of varieties are planted in Mauritius, so you’ll need to ask your fruit seller turned matchmaker what the perfect mango is for you.
Lychees, of course, are always perfect. The bite-sized fruit will literally melt in your mouth, releasing a juicy goodness which will leave you asking for more. As for the longan, the lychee’s cousin, the fruit matures a bit later, at the end of December or beginning of January. It is smaller, but it is just as tasty.
Changed your mind yet? No? If so, try an icy-cold watermelon. If after that, you still don’t like fruits, then there truly isn’t any hope for you!
The DIY Mauritian Fruit Salad
You are bound, at some point during your stay in Mauritius, to come across somebody selling fruit salads. But if you’re one to do things yourself, here is a little recipe you might want to try.
You will need:
- 1 fresh pineapple
- 1 white cucumber
- 2 half-ripe mangoes
- 3 tablespoons of tamarind paste
- 2-3 green and red chillies
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Peel the cucumber, the pineapple and the mango. Dice the pineapple and cut the mango into thin slices. De-seed the cucumber, dice it and add the tamarind paste. Place everything in a large bowl.
Crush the chilli and the salt in a mortar and pour the mixture on the fruits. Add some water to spread the chilli and tamarind paste evenly. Eat as it is or keep in the fridge for some time.
