One of the things which seem fascinating to me, as far as the tropical islands are concerned, is the fact that you can find so many fresh, lovely, flavorful and...perfect fruits and vegetables, that you can’t help tasting at least a bit of all. Besides, you don’t have to ever worry about what you will eat, because even the most exigent people will find something to their taste, both in a raw variant, or in delicious dishes or savory cocktails. Yes, I know you agree with me !

In Mauritius I literally found a fruit and vegetable rainbow in the market, of all kinds of hues, shapes and tastes, and on my colored list there count among my favorites:

• Aromatic plants (curry leaves, coriander); chillies that are extremely used; giant green olives; tomatoes of all types, shapes and even green with stripes; a sort of ginger good for calming the caugh; a type of oversized zucchinis and with a rough peel; spices and herbs; bananas in different sizes and colors
  
  

• Aroui-taro - is a well-known plant, by the name of Taro, Yam or Colocasia, spread  in more countries, which looks like a potato or a parsnip, it can be boiled, mashed or put in all sorts of stews and even in desserts, depending on the area
  
  

• Chouchou - or Chayote is a rather strange combination between a cucumber and a water melon, it is usually used in salads, with lemon or lime, but it is also cooked, as croquettes and is rich in amino acids and vitamin C. It can be served as a starter or it can be used in soups or desserts
  
  

• The breadfruit - a sort of our potato, it's very popular in Mauritius and you use it for different dishes, even sweet ones
  
  

• Pipengaille - or Pipangaye is a nice vegetable, also called loofah. It looks like a kind of dehydrated cucumber, quite watery and with no particular taste
  
  

• Jujube - are super duper, tasty fruits, which can be served in many ways - under the form of tea, jams, juice, dried or fresh - the flavor is unmistakeable
  
  

• Violette – is the name of a root vegetable in Mauritius which is used in the Indian cuisine, in dishes with sauces, of course
  
  

• Brede songes - or Taro leaves - are the leaves of the above-mentioned  taro "potato", which must be boiled for a long time before being eaten, because they can be toxic. They are a good source of vitamin A and C
  
  

• Alouda – a recommended drink by our guide, for what the people were standing at queues. It’s super tasty, typical for the island, from a sort of Indian basil, a type of jelly, milk, water, vanilla essence or almonds, ice, sugar. I don’t know how this sounds (and especially if you have tried it, considering the way it was served – in short, exactly like in the market, as rustic as possible), but trust my colored word for it that it was really good and it’s worth to drink it
  
  

• The floor with craft stuff, of all kinds, has to be checked