Madagascar Food Guide

Rice forms the staple of the Madagascar diet and is used in dozens of ways in savoury and sweet preparations. The melting pot of African, Arabic, French and Indian cooking styles, Malagasy cuisine uses plenty of spices to create a fragrant, rich and exotic new cuisine. The Malagasy cuisine takes full advantage of the country’s rich bounty of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables. The standard Malagasy diet is a varied one, usually comprising of heaps of rice topped with beef, pork, chicken, crab, fish, corn, peanuts and potatoes. Spicy curries are popular and owe much to the Indian community. Elegant French dishes are served at the island's finest restaurants and hotels, catering mostly for foreign tourists. Koba, a mushy blend of rice, banana, and peanut is the national snack and locals seem to eat it at all and any time. Madagascar is famous for its fresh seafood, particularly its wonderful seafood salad platters seasoned with ginger and limejuice. Akoho sy voanio, a chicken dish prepared with rice and fresh coconut is also very popular with visitors, as is the Foza sy hena-kisoa, a stir-fried crab, pork, and rice dish.