The cuisine of Madagascar, anchored by rice three meals a day, with Southeast Asian, East African, and French strands stitched into one island table.
What it is
Madagascar’s cuisine traces a remarkable lineage. The island’s first inhabitants arrived from Borneo about 1,500 years ago, bringing rice cultivation; later waves added Bantu African and Arab influences, and the French left their stamp during colonization. The world’s vanilla market is shaped by Malagasy plantations.
How it tastes
Malagasy food is gentler than most African cuisines — chili is offered on the side as sakay rather than cooked in. Ginger and garlic do the heavy lifting; tomato bases support most stews. Rice is at every meal and consumed in volumes that startle visitors.
Signature dishes & techniques
Romazava, a beef-and-leafy-greens stew with the bitter anamamy, is the country’s most claimed national plate. Ravitoto, pounded cassava leaves simmered with pork, is the everyday comfort dish. Vanilla and clove from the island show up in desserts; mofo gasy, fermented rice-flour breakfast cakes, fuel city mornings.
Find more cuisines by letter
Malagasy starts with M and ends with Y. Browse other cuisines along the same letter.
Cuisines that contain a letter from "Malagasy":