At Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius, passport control officials always crack the same joke, and it is always funny. ‘Ah, you are Muhammad Chan’s nephew! How is his leg?’
This is a reference to the Indian Ocean island’s tiny size, and how intertwined its communities are. Mauritius’s 1.3 million inhabitants are the descendants of colonizers and slavers from Europe, and of slaves and indentured labourers from India, Africa, and China. Nowhere is this history more evident than in its cuisine. Here, one can feast on haleem, stir fry, dhal puri and gateaux pima at the same table, but the choice of dishes is not seen as incongruous – it’s all Mauritian food served in a metaphorical melting pot.
