The Seychellois cook rarely cooks without spices, which has been intricately linked to our history since our early colonial days. Pierre Poivre, the French horticulturalist who became administrator of Mauritius and Seychelles in the late 1700’s, chose Seychelles as the location for his spice garden where he introduced the exotic spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
It was however, Antoine Gillot who created a proper spice garden in 1771 where he grew nutmeg, cloves and pepper. But his plantation did not prosper as Lieutenant Charles de Romainville burnt it down in 1780 when he mistakenly thought that a French ship approaching Mahé was a British ship, destroying the plantation so that it would not fall into enemy hands!
If you wish to learn more about the Jardin du Roy à Anse Royal click here to read the extracts from letters from Jean-Nicolas Céré , in 1778, to all those involved.
In Seychelles Creole cuisine, some spices are used in greater quantity than others. Garlic, onions, ginger are the Holy Trinity of Creole cuisine. Other spices like black pepper and chillies are also commonly used. Once in a while, the majority of us would look forward to a hot curry or a spicy grilled fish whereas some others will not eat their meals without an accompaniment of fresh chilli sauce. Chilli is to a large extent used to stimulate the taste buds and work an appetite. However, it is a taste that is nurtured and acquired and not every one can develop a liking for it. Overindulgence in chilli can result in a nasty experience for the delicate palate!
Ideally when using spices, we grind a small amount of each spice as and when required. This may not be practical at times so it is wise to grind in larger amounts and store in an airtight container until needed. If you purchase ready-made spice- mixes , ensure that they are stored in airtight containers in a dark cool place because when exposed to the air and sunlight they tend to loose their fragrance and aroma while sunlight bleaches the colour out of them.
A word of advice! Never exceed the stated amount in a recipe unless you really know the effect of the different spices on your taste buds. You will be surprised how some spices can dominate or even ruin a delicate dish when overused.
In order to make you more conversant with the most widely used spices in the Creole cookery, I have listed below and I have endeavoured to give a brief description and explain the best methods to handling them. If you wish to know more about any of the spice , click on the name of the spice.
