Food of Seychelles - 15 Traditional Creole Foods & Where to Try!

1. Grilled Fish

For all the people who love to eat fish, you’ll be amazed to know the variety of fish dishes you will find in this country; ranging from smoked, steamed, baked to served covered in banana leaves. Grilled fish especially is a must-try dish here and is prepared by grilling fish, stuffed with garlic, chilli, and ginger, over hot coals of BBQ. Barracuda is a very popular fish that is served in this style. Add in a chilled can of beer, a beautiful view of the ocean, and some amazing company, and you’ve got yourself just the perfect evening.

2. Shark Chutney

While chutney is served in the side with many dishes in India, Seychellois, with their Shark chutney, treat this exciting dish as much more than a humble side dish. This unique but delectable chutney is prepared by boiling and mashing shark meat and mixing it with lime, turmeric, fried onion, and Bilimbi (a local fruit of Seychelles). It is served at almost every Creole restaurant in this country, and you can relish it with your main dish.

3. Coconut Curry

Another addition to the list of must-have food of Seychelles is the ever-famous Coconut curry, usually eaten with rice. This creamy curry is prepared by frying onions, ginger, garlic and a number of masala spices until the kitchen is filled with the fantastic aroma emanating from the dish.

Freshly made coconut cream is then added with curry leaves and a pinch of saffron to complete this traditional Creole dish. The curry is slightly spicy, and it is the combination of spices that are used for cooking this dish, that sets it apart from other curries. So, this is definitely a dish that you might want to consider trying during your visit to these islands.  

4. Bat Curry

If you are in the mood to try something bizarre, then you should give a try to one of the most popular delicacies, among the large variety of exotic food of Seychelles, Curried bat. While some tourists do find the idea of eating bat curry, prepared from the meat cut out from the wings of fruit bat, a bit revolting, the dish is immensely enjoyed by locals. Anse Soleil Restaurant and Marie Antoinette Restaurant are two of the most famous restaurants in Seychelles, known for serving the traditional Creole dishes, such as Bat curry.

5. Breadfruit

Your visit to Seychelles would certainly not be deemed complete if you didn’t try one of the main traditional ingredients of these islands - Breadfruit.  This fruit emanating the aroma of freshly baked bread is used as a key ingredient in a variety of dishes served here, whether it is in grilled, baked, barbecued, boiled, steamed, microwaved or fried form.

Breadfruit chips are one of the most popular snack items of these islands, and you can easily spot tourists munching on these salty fried chips when sightseeing. Breadfruit is also mixed with coconut milk and served as a dessert dish called ‘Ladob’. This delectable dish often invites demands for second servings from locals and tourists alike.

6. Bouyon Bred or Fish Soup

A very healthy dish that is part of the Seychelles cuisine, bouyon bred is a clear broth made using fresh moringa leaves and fried fish. Derived from the French word “bouillon” or rather “bouillir” which means to boil, this dish can be eaten on its own or with rice. Bouyon bred is also eaten to help recover from a cold or a flu since it is packed with nutrients.

7. Kari Bernik

Kari Bernik or limpet curry is a delicacy in Seychelles that is not eaten very frequently since it takes a lot of effort to prepare it. This dish is made using limpets which are similar to barnacles and cooking them with coconut milk, eggplant and local masala/curry powder. One must acquire the taste to enjoy this dish. 

8. Cassava Cake

Cassava pudding or cake is a popular gelatinous dessert in Seychelles which originated in the Philippines. More like a jiggly cake and less like a pudding, it is prepared using cassava which is a starchy root vegetable along with milk, sugar, vanilla essence etc. It is topped off with finely grated coconut which gives it a slightly crunchy texture. 

9. Kat-Kat Banana

Kat-kat Banana is a traditional Créole porridge eaten in the Seychelles that is prepared using mashed up green bananas or plantains and shredded fish fillets that are cooked in coconut milk. Cinnamon, ginger and garlic are also used. Also called kit-kit sale, it is savoury and usually eaten on its own or with some rice and fresh chilli peppers. 

10. Salad Palmis

The Salad Palmis or “Millionaire’s salad” is a delicacy in the Seychelles that is prepared mainly using the heart of a palm tree. It basically has a soft milky white core that is covered by delicate flesh. Apart from this main ingredient, the salad also consists of chopped green tomatoes, avocados, green mangoes, coconut, red bell peppers, coriander and mint. The ingredients are then topped off with a sweet and sour dressing that contains ginger and lime. 

11. Ladob

Eaten as a savoury side dish or as a dessert, Ladob is a staple food in the Seychelles cuisine. In its sweet form, ladob is prepared using ripe plantains and sweet potatoes (or cassava, corossol, breadfruit) which is cooked with coconut milk, nutmeg, vanilla pods and sugar. In its savoury form, it is made with salted fish that is cooked with coconut milk, nutmeg, cassava/breadfruit/plantain and salt. This dish can be served cold or hot. 

12. Salted Fish

Salted fish or Pawson salé is a very popular food in Seychelles made by taking freshly caught fish and salting and sun-drying it. This is done to preserve the fish and to give it a distinct taste. This salted fish can then be used to prepare different dishes such as chatinis (chutneys), rougail or a tomato-onion sauce, fried rice and fish curries. It can also be fried and eaten alongside rice and papaya chutney. 

13. Lentils

Lentils or dhal is another staple food in Seychelles that is usually eaten along with rice and other dishes. A simple dish, it is generally made using red lentils which are cooked with onions, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. It ultimately turns out looking yellow. 

14. Sausage Rougay

Sausage Rougay or Rougay Sosis is a traditional Créole dish that is eaten in almost every household in Seychelles. Basically a stew-like dish, it can be made using two kinds of sausages which are the Créole sausage (Sosis Kreol’) and the Salted sausage (Sosis Sale). The sausages are then cooked in a sauce prepared with tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, chillies, thyme and black pepper. It is best eaten with rice and some salad. 

15. Satini

Satini, essentially a side salad, is a very famous dish that is unique to Seychelles. This dish comprises a number of ingredients, both fruits and vegetables, that are finely chopped such as onions, apple, papaya, blimbi which is a local fruit, lime and chilli. Usually, seafood like a shark is added to it, though it is first ground and mixed with some turmeric. Often ground coconut is also added to Satini.

Drinks in Seychelles

1. Buka - Similar to rum, is made from sugarcane and is brewed at home. whereas
2. Kalou - It is a fermented wine involving inflorescence of coconut trees, holding a tart or sugary taste after fermentation.
3. Seybrew beer
4. South African and French wine
5. Takamaka Bay Rum 

Best Places for Food in Seychelles

1. La Grande Maison

2. Mimi's Cafe

3. Mi Mum's Takeaway 

4. Chez Jules

These guesthouses serve delicious homecooked meals for their guests. 

5. Calypha Guesthouse

Location - Ma Constance (Off North Coast Road), Mahe

6. Oceane Self Catering

Now that you have learned all that you need to know about the unique cuisine culture of Seychelles, we hope that your quest to search for the best Creole dishes and where to have them end here.