Constance Festival Culinary 2023

7/14/23, 11:00 AM

Foodies! This Mauritius festival is your shortcut to a galaxy of Michelin stars

No foodie visit to Mauritius would be complete without a visit to the source of the beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables we’d enjoyed, the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Port Louis. About an hour's drive from Constance Belle Mare Plage on the east coast, the picturesque trip offered a window to the island. The beautifully lush, green scenery was in stark contrast to the busy capital city — bustling, hot and humid. The tall market hall has two levels. The upstairs balcony offers vistas down on to the sellers and their eye-catching produce. A riot of colour, the produce is stacked like works of art — almost too good to buy. On the day of my visit there were mountains of ruby red tomatoes, the garden green of the freshest coriander tightly packed together like a forest, tons of fresh chillies the colours of the rainbow and mounds of pearl-white garlic and onions. Not forgetting the fruit — pineapples, granadillas, mangoes and watermelons. And allow time to visit the market cafes, each with its own speciality. A standout for me was the way Mauritians prepare and serve pineapple. I marvel at the skill of the knife in removing the pesky “eyes”, creating a sculptural masterpiece of the humble fruit. Dipped in chilli powder as they do, it’s heaven.

• Hilary Biller was a guest of Constance Hotels & Resorts, Constance Belle Mare Plage

THE STORY OF THE FESTIVAL

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Originally known at the Festival Culinaire Bernard Loiseau, the Constance Culinary Festival was named in memory of the famed and much loved French chef who achieved his ambition of a third Michelin star for his La Côte d'Or restaurant in Burgundy in 1991. It was the only restaurant in France to be promoted that year. Twelve years later, just weeks before the release of the 2003 Michelin Guide for France, Loiseau completed service in his restaurant, went home, walked upstairs to his bedroom and shot himself. With no suicide note it was diffcult to pinpoint the reason, though weeks before his death rumours had started circulating that Loiseau's food had lost some of its sparkle and that he was about to lose his cherished third star. His wife Dominique maintains his legacy, and continues to run La Côte d'Or, now known as Relais Bernard Loiseau, as a hotel and restaurant with the aid of loyal staff, including chef Patrick Bertron.

• The 17th edition of The Constance Culinary Festival will take place March 9-16 2024. See constancehotels.com.

Air Mauritius offers 15 direct fights weekly from Johannesburg to Mauritius.

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