Food & Drink: In Madagascar, eating well means eating a lot. Malagasy cooking is based on a large serving of rice with a dressing of sauces, meat, vegetables and seasoning. Dishes include
ro (a mixture of herbs and leaves with rice); beef and pork marinated in vinegar, water and oil, then cooked with leaves, onion, pickles and other vegetables and seasoned with pimento;
ravitoto (meat and leaves cooked together);
ramazava (leaves and pieces of beef and pork browned in oil);
vary amid ’anana (rice, leaves or herbs, meat and sometimes shrimps), often eaten with
kitoza (long slices of smoked, cured or fried meat). The people of Madagascar enjoy very hot food and often serve dishes with hot peppers. Local restaurants are often referred to as
hotely.
The choice of beverages is limited. The national wine is acceptable. Malagasy drinks include
litchel (an aperitif made from litchis),
betsa (fermented alcohol) and
toaka gasy (distilled from cane sugar and rice) and ‘Three Horses’ lager. Non-alcoholic drinks include
ranon ’apango or
rano vda (made from burnt rice) and local mineral waters.
