Creole cuisine – at the very heart of the Reunion Island experience

The very Creole nature of the French Indian Ocean’s Reunion Island becomes apparent in many ways – language, art, poetry, dance, and perhaps mostly in the cuisine of the island, which is a unique blend of French fusion with the exotic spices and cooking methods found there.

Visitors to Reunion Island will be able to confirm that the food indeed is special, not just lovingly prepared and presented, but colorful to please both the eye as well as the palate.

Sophie Gastrin, one of Reunion Island’s tourism ambassadors and a journalist by profession – she is well known for working alongside William Leymergie at Telematin/France 2 – has launched a Creole cookbook with plenty of recipes, something no doubt many visitors will take back home with them to try their own hand at when in the kitchen to produce a meal garnished with memories from the island.

In the book, readers will find all they want to know about appetizers, entrees, desserts, side dishes – in total 25 custom menus, including 50 recipes of appetizers and dishes, accompaniments, and 27 desserts that will light up the taste buds of gourmets and gourmands.

“The Cuisine of the Island of Reunion” is a book that invites one on a culinary trip to Reunion Island to discover its gastronomic heritage and also to the melting of cultures that have shaped its history. The cultural mix of the island is also found in the plates for its cuisine that blends European influences of Chinese, Indian, African, and Malagasy. The book not only contains a large collection of recipes, which come with a wide range of illustrations, but also with a comprehensive list of outlets in mainland France on where to source products from Reunion Island. So, there are no more excuses not to try Reunion Island’s recipes in one’s own kitchen!